Homestead Turkey Production
(Page 6 of 9)
Turkey eggs incubate in 28 days and the method of handling
both hen and poults is much the same as described in the
article, "Homestead Chicken Production", in MOTHER NO. 19.
In the event that an artificial brooder is to be used then
we refer the reader back to the "Day-old Chick" section of
that article.
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RAISING TURKEYS ON WIRE
As with chickens there are two major methods of raising
turkeys: [1] range production and [ 2] raising turkeys on
wire. Concerning chickens, we are willing to give the
beginner the choice of either method. However, in the case
of turkeys, we strongly advise all beginners to stay with
the wire or sun-porch method.
As in the case of chickens, it is probably true that
turkeys confined to wire enclosures consume more feed than
those who have unrestricted range, yet the advantages from
a sanitary standpoint of the sun porch should be the
deciding factor for the beginner, regardless of how much
range he may have available.
Turkeys require a minimum of five square feet of floor
space per bird when the sun-porch method is used. There is
no necessity for these sunning areas to be constructed on
an elaborate scale for many small-scale turkey producers
have had excellent luck with homemade and makeshift rigs.
It is merely a chicken-wire cage large enough to allow the
five square feet of floor space required for each bird and
is usually constructed so that the birds have
headroom—3 feet 6 inches is sufficient—and
containing enough roosts so that all birds may perch
simultaneously. The floor may be constructed either of wire
or wooden slats and the entire contraption is built some
three feet above the ground so that droppings may be easily
raked out from under the porch and placed in the compost
pile. About 20% of the sun porch should be covered with
some sort of roofing material so that the birds will have
ample shade during hot summer days and also supply a cover
so that they may get out of driving rains. The sunning area
should be constructed so that all feed and watering troughs
may be reached from the outside, thus eliminating the
spread of contagious disease by the attendant walking from
one pen to the other.
Turkeys are placed on this sun porch as poults directly
from the brooder room and are kept there for their entire
stay on the farm. Of course porches of any size may be
constructed and more and more commercial producers are
going from the range to the sun-porch method of rearing
turkeys. Should the breeder raise more than 100 birds
annually, it is advisable to have more than one sunning
area (or at least to supply partitions in large sun
porches) so that not more than 100 birds are kept together.
This will eliminate danger from piling up and overcrowding.
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