Homestead Turkey Production
(Page 3 of 9)
DAY-OLD POULTS
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Assuming that the selection of breed has been determined,
and again assuming that the beginner has contacted a
reputable hatchery that produces a good strain of turkeys,
then we are ready to start with our flock. First off, it
might be wise to issue a word of warning as to how many
poults to order. If we are not interested in the commercial
side of turkey production (and we should not be unless we
have had considerable experience in their rearing) it is
not wise to purchase more than a dozen poults. A dozen
mature turkeys will produce over 250 pounds of turkey meat
which is considerably more than the average family can
consume during the year regardless of how much help they
receive from neighbors and relations. It must also be
remembered that a turkey will eat at least 100 pounds of
feed during his six months' residence on the farm which if
multiplied by too large a factor soon becomes an expensive
outlay. It might also be wise to note that a mere dozen
poults do not require extensive housing, and brooding
arrangements whereas many more than that number will
require considerable construction for their maintenance.
Great care should be exercised so that one will purchase
poults from a "pullorum free" flock, for this disease is
transmitted from turkey hens to poults and can only be
controlled at the source of supply. When the poults arrive
from the hatchery, they may be placed under turkey hens (as
described in the article, "Homestead Chicken Production",
MOTHER NO. 19) or better yet they may be placed in a
factory or homemade brooder and kept at a temperature of
from 95 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit for the first week or ten
days. This temperature is gradually lowered until the
poults are from 8 to 10 weeks of age when they require
little if any heat. Naturally, outside temperature and
humidity, general weather conditions, etc., will be a
deciding factor and the turkey raiser will do well to
control his heating arrangement by watching over the
comfort of his poults rather than any hard and fast
regulations concerning temperature.
Sand is considered the ideal litter for starting poults.
This litter should be changed at least once per week and no
substitute for sand should be used for at least the first
three week. After that, wood shavings, clean wheat straw,
peat moss or other litters may be substituted. Some turkey
producers insist that no litter should be used; instead
they maintain their poults on fine wire screen, contending
that young gobblers are kept cleaner on wire than on litter
and that if these wire screens are kept at least three
inches above the floor level, then cleaning is no problem.
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