What is the best way to feed turkeys for rapid growth at home?

A common problem for novice poultry farmers is what to feed turkeys for rapid growth and weight gain at home. In order for birds to develop properly and gain weight, their diet must contain corn and soybeans. These are sources of vegetable protein for turkeys. At different ages, additional components necessary for health and normal metabolism change.

What to feed turkeys for rapid growth?

Chicks, grown birds and adult birds require different ratios of vitamins and minerals. In addition to protein foods, turkeys benefit from greens - scalded nettle, lettuce, green onions, alfalfa.

Features of feeding young animals

From birth to two months, the diet of turkey chicks is dominated by dairy products, sources of calcium - cottage cheese, yogurt. The second component of their nutrition and energy source is cereals - barley and corn. Birds obtain phosphorus from bone meal.

For newborn chicks, on the first day it is enough to finely chop a boiled egg. On the second day, cottage cheese is added, on the third - cereals. At the end of the first week, soybean meal is added to the same components. Turkey poults also need animal proteins, so the mixture is diluted with meat broth.

The following table will help you create a menu. Indicators are indicated in grams per individual:

At two months of age, new components are introduced into the mixture - finely chopped boiled carrots and potatoes.

The development rate of chicks is determined by weight. On the thirtieth day, normal weight is considered to be 0.5 kilograms. In a month, the weight gain should be 100-150 percent. Three-month-old turkeys are prepared for the transition to adult food - they are given vegetables, crushed cereals, cake, grass.

What to feed adult birds

The basis of the diet of turkeys at 10 months is animal protein. It is found in meat and fish waste, fermented milk products. Adult birds also need grain, plant food and legumes.In addition to chalk and shells, they are given crushed pine needles. Various components are added according to the season.

During the spring-summer period

With the arrival of warmer weather and the appearance of green cover in the fields, the birds are released to freely graze. Useful herbs for turkeys: alfalfa, clover, yarrow, gentian. Walking in the fresh air strengthens your legs, increases your appetite and increases the value of meat. Moderate sunbathing helps the body produce vitamin D. Homemade diet for the summer:

• corn;
• barley;
• wheat;
• bran;
• animal meal;
• feed yeast.

Birds kept in cages should be given 200 grams of green feed per day each.

A sample menu for adult turkeys is shown in the following table:

On hot days, birds should not be left without water in the pasture or in the poultry house. To ensure that turkeys drink enough, simple drinking bowls are placed on the run and changed throughout the day.

in winter

A feature of winter feeding is the lack of fresh grass. Greens are replaced with silage, hay, and straw. Sprouted wheat sprouts are also a source of protein for turkeys. The main nutritional components are barley and corn.

During the cold season, birds need fiber more. Therefore, the following will be useful for them:

• boiled beets;
• alfalfa hay;
• crushed chestnuts.

In the summer, young branches and leaves of trees are harvested: birch, linden, aspen, rowan. The rods are hung in bundles and suspended so that the turkeys can chew on them. Crushed leaves are added to wet mixtures.

Subtleties of feeding at different periods

Turkeys need vitamins more during fattening, egg production and the breeding period. The set of nutrients for male breeders and laying hens is also different. Therefore, during mating and egg-laying, the diet is adjusted for individual groups of birds. The diet during fattening also changes.

During the tribal period

The proportion of protein in the diet of males is reduced to maintain the balance of substances and prevent excessive weight gain. Overfed turkeys lose interest in females. Dried fruits and feed yeast in their diet contribute to the hatching of healthy chicks.

During the laying period

During egg laying, it is also important not to overfeed the hens. Obesity negatively affects egg production. With a lack of phosphorus and calcium during oviposition, turkeys peck at the laid eggs. There are also problems with the formation of eggs - the absence of a shell or yolk. In the diet of laying hens, the proportion of dairy products containing calcium is increased. As a supplement, birds are given crushed eggshells and bone meal.

Fattening for meat before slaughter

For novice poultry farmers, an easy way out is to feed turkeys with compound feed. It already contains the necessary set of components. Ready-made mixtures are intended for turkey poults of different ages:

• starter - for chicks from birth to one month;
• medium - for month-old birds;
• main, finishing - for young birds from two months and adult birds.

Types of compound feed differ in nutritional value; they can be granulated or crumbly. Small pellets are intended for small turkey poults, and large ones for older ones.Complete feed replaces plants, grains and vegetables, contains vitamins and antibiotics. But drinking the dry mixture increases thirst. Birds should always have clean water.

The second way to feed turkeys for experienced breeders is a self-prepared wet mixture with grass and vegetables in combination with ready-made cereal concentrates. Sunflower cake, wheat bran, crushed corn and boiled potatoes are added to the mash.

Diet is important for weight gain:

• in the morning, in the first half of the day - wet plant food;
• in the afternoon, in the evening - grain, mixed feed.

During the period of weight gain, turkeys are given walnuts and vegetable oil so that the meat is tender and juicy. Zucchini and pumpkin are easily digestible by young and old birds.

In order for turkeys to eat more and gain weight better, spices are added to the food: anise, pepper, cinnamon, garlic.

Use of vitamin and mineral supplements

Up to six months, turkey poults and young animals require the following vitamins:

• A - blindness develops from a deficiency;
• D - vitamin deficiency leads to rickets, feather loss;
• group B - regulates metabolism, ensures normal growth and sexual development.

Vitamin deficiencies lead to cannibalism and lack of appetite. With the onset of egg laying, laying hens that have not received enough B vitamins have difficulty hatching eggs and the oviduct falls out.

From the seventh day of life, turkey poults are given crushed shells, chalk and salt to help digest food. The source of carbohydrates for them is starch. Probiotics are used as a supplement to prevent digestive upset. Calcium phosphate or tricalcium phosphate in powder is added to turkey feed. The proportion of the substance in the diet should not exceed two percent.To avoid mistakes with the dosage, use ready-made vitamin supplements - premixes. They are compiled specifically according to the age of the birds.

Do not overuse premixes during the laying period. Excess vitamins cause laying hens to molt prematurely and lose their ability to lay eggs.

What problems might you encounter?

The main problem when fattening turkeys is little or no weight gain. If the birds' weight does not increase, you need to make sure they are healthy. Lack of appetite or weight loss are symptoms of a bacterial infection or helminth infection.

Lack of weight gain in healthy turkeys is a sign of an incorrectly formulated diet or feeding regime.

How to increase the weight gain of birds:

• feed more often, with an estimate of 800 grams of food per day for each individual;
• increase the proportion of succulent feed, prepare wet mash;
• add a stimulating vitamin premix to the food.

Turkeys do not gain weight well if there are errors in their housing conditions:

• draft, cold;
• musty air;
• lack of light.

Turkeys are physically unable to eat with an overcrowded crop. The plug is formed due to the abundance of dry food.

What should you not give to turkeys?

Products contraindicated for birds:

• feed for cows and pigs;
• moldy, wormy grains and vegetables;
• large pieces of raw fish and meat;
• pickled vegetables.

Potentially harmful products:

• bread - preference should be given to white, homemade bread. Rye loaves cause fermentation. The composition of store-bought products is known exactly only to bakers at the factory;
• tomatoes - green vegetables and tops contain the toxic substance corned beef;
• fruits, berries - if eaten occasionally and infrequently, they will not cause harm, but are not suitable for constant feeding.

Turkey poults should not be given foods with fiber: bran, legumes, cabbage, beets. Bread soaked in milk stops their digestion. When grazing or when collecting herbs in the field, you should avoid areas with plants that are poisonous to turkeys: hemlock, buttercup, milkweed, hemlock, and night blindness.

A dangerous product is expired poultry feed. After the expiration date, it turns into a concentrate of toxins. Low-quality ready-made mixtures will also bring little benefit, since they do not fully saturate the birds with energy and vitamins. Price does not always correspond to quality. Therefore the best feed for turkeys - made with your own hands.