Homestead Turkey Production
(Page 7 of 9)
In the range method, great care must be exercised so that
disease is not spread through soil contamination. Under no
circumstances should turkeys be permitted to run on ground
that has previously been occupied by chickens, and pastures
or ranges must be changed continually if the birds are to
remain healthy. These pastures should be changed at least
every ten days (if they are small) for once disease strikes
control is most difficult and sometimes utterly impossible.
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FEEDING TURKEYS
Even though turkeys are very particular in their eating
habits, properly fed young birds make astounding gains. For
those interested in a very limited number of birds it would
not be practical to mix and grind starter mash for there
are any number of commercial products that have proven very
satisfactory. However, for those who like to mix their own
feeds, and for those who wish to compare the contents of
commercial mash against that of ideal composition, the
following mixtures may prove of interest.
In the event that liquid skim milk is available (and there
is no better feed for young turkeys) the following starting
mash may be used to advantage.
In addition to either of these rations, fine gravel or
coarse sand should be supplied together with green feed if
such feed is available. Tender lettuce, Swiss chard, short
lawn clippings or tender alfalfa are all excellent. Yet the
beginner must be warned not to feed tough greens for these
often cause impaction in young birds which sometimes proves
fatal.
By the time poults have reached six to eight weeks of age
and are confined to the sun porch, they may be switched to
a ration made up as follows:
Commercial feed manufacturers also make excellent mashes
that may be fed after poults have reached six to eight
weeks, yet regardless of whether mash is purchased or home
mixed, a grain ration is also fed at this point. Turkeys do
extremely well on corn, whole oats, barley or whole-wheat,
and this grain is fed in unlimited amounts . . . the young
gobblers are given access to all the grain they will
consume together with the recommended mash. As the turkeys
grow older, usually by the time they have reached 16 to 17
weeks, they will start increasing their consumption of
whole grains and will voluntarily cut down on the
percentage of mash consumed. This is natural and need not
concern the producer. This is especially true as cool
weather moves in and some breeders stop feeding mash
altogether at this juncture. Here on Toowoomba, however, we
have found that it pays to keep mash before the birds
regardless of how little they will eat for they receive
food values from mash that is not always present in whole
grains. SANITATION
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