New turkey advice please

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goatgal35
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New turkey advice please

Post by goatgal35 » Fri Nov 10, 2017 3:22 pm

I just got two bronze jennys from people who live right in town so their neighbours called bylaw with concerns about their turkeys. These turkeys have been living inside the house since they were a week old and feed nothing but chick starter. They have been kept in a 4x4x3 dog pen their entire lives. They were a week old when these folks got them near the end of June. Neither bird weights over 8lbs. They have never flown, rooster, seen outdoors, scratched in the dirt or had anything to eat other then chick starter. They stink and their feathers are a bit rough. I have set them up in 10x10x6 dog kennel with a coop attached. I'm concerned about the cold, since they aren't used to it. Do they need heat? I have mixed about 1/4 turkey grower into the chick starter that came with them. I want to get them on grass asap. How quickly can I change their diet and will they ever catch up in size once they get to actually be turkeys?
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Killerbunny
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Re: New turkey advice please

Post by Killerbunny » Sat Nov 11, 2017 6:23 am

Poor girls, glad you go them. Afraid I can't help. WLLady may have some advice.
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ross
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Re: New turkey advice please

Post by ross » Sat Nov 11, 2017 7:50 am

Basically there same as chickens . If theve come from heated facility & are not in good physical shape I'd hang a heat lamp in coop to take chill off till in better shape . 24/7 feed & plenty of fresh water to help them adjust body heat . Easiest way to tell is see if they are hunched over or worse shaking heat needed if not just feed water , dry & wind protection needed . Luck
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Happy
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Re: New turkey advice please

Post by Happy » Sat Nov 11, 2017 8:23 am

Shaking my head. Some people's children.
I know zero about turkeys . Just want to say thanks for taking them out of that situation. I'm sure they'll be on the mend in no time.
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WLLady
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Re: New turkey advice please

Post by WLLady » Sat Nov 11, 2017 9:22 am

Over the next 2 weeks reduce the starter amount and increase the grower. Get yourself some dry catfood-cheap stuff and mix a handful of that in. Thatvwill boost the protein. They need to grow feathers fast with this weather. Next week should be a tad warmer but i would recommend a heat lamp for them for the next 2-3 weeks until you see good fluff coming in. They will need to feel a bit cool to grow the feathers in, but like ross said, hunched or shaking is too cold. Check them carefully for mites (altho if they have been inside they likely wont have any) just to be sure they get a good start. Rough feathers will smooth out over time when they moult-as long as lots of them are not broken off so they dont cover the bird. If you can put the heat lamp deep into the coop away from the door to give them a warmer space with lots of deep fluffy straw or hay or shavings they can nestle into if they cannot roost. If they have figured out how to roost them place the lamp so they get peripheral heat from the lamp enough that they are still cool and can move under the lamp on the floor...that way they will roost and produce fluff but not freeze. Turkeys can be picky....and quite dumb so you might need to make sure they go in at night if they get "stuck " outside....especially if they arent used to outside. The increase in protein is the most important, and grower pellets sometimes look like foreign objects and they wont touch if it they dont know it...same with the cat food....but hopefully they will crave the protein and switch over with no problems, just watch them and if you need mix the food longer then do.....
careful with the heat lamp, double wire hang it, so it cant fall and keep it away from the water....over time you can start turning it off for the day and on at night etc, then finally when they are all fluffed thick underneath off all the time. And try to keep them out of the rain....wind....until they are fluffed underneath.
good luck....
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goatgal35
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Re: New turkey advice please

Post by goatgal35 » Sat Nov 11, 2017 3:40 pm

Thanks for the encouragement and advice. I mixed turkey grower crumbles in as I figured pellets would be to different, gave a heat lamp and very low perches. I'll grab cat food tonite. By the time I'm done turning these girls around I'm going to be very attached to them and they'll end up being lifers. So much for downsizing.
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