Thursday, July 16, 2009

Getting ready for your new poults

Getting Ready for New Turkey Poults


Its always exciting to have new turkey poults coming. Wether they are raised from your own eggs or bought from another turkey hatchery. Theres a lot of work to be done before they arrive. To give them a healthy coop to grow in. This will give you the best turkeys for sale

Preparing the coop for the new poults


  •  Remove all equipment possible, such as: feeders, waterers, brooders, etc., from the house.
  • Wash all equipment with a soap or detergent and rinse thoroughly. If possible, place in the sun to dry-this will help disinfect the equipment.
  • Remove used litter and rubbish from the hutch, such as: bags, paper, tools, buckets, etc.
  • Clean the building thoroughly - sweep ceilings, walls, remove and wash windows, remove any caked material on the floor.
  • Use a high pressure sprayer to completely wash down the building interior or soak caked materials to loosen them.
  • Apply an approved insecticide in buildings where lice, mites, beetles or other insects have been a problem.
  • Use a good rodent control program inside and outside of the building.
  • Rinse equipment with a disinfectant. Quaternary ammonium and chlorine bleaching agents are good disinfectants. Follow instructions on the container.
  • Put clean, dry litter in the building after it has been cleaned, disinfected and dried. Chopped straw, wood shavings or crushed or coarsely ground corn cobs make good litter.


Brooder Stoves for Turkey Chicks

You must provide heat for the baby chicks. Brooder stoves are available that use gas and oil. These stoves have hovers that contain or retain the heat close to the floor. Electric heat lamps (without hovers) are also used to brood chicks.

Start the brooder stove at least 24 hours before the chicks arrive to properly adjust the stove and dry out the house.

Provide a temperature of 90-95 degrees F at chick level. Use only new or cleaned chick guards at least 2-3 feet from edge of brooder hover for first 7 days. Use solid chick guards in cold houses.

A chick guard is a paper, cardboard or a fine wire mesh ring around the heat source (brooder stove) that confines the birds to the warmed area.

Reduce temperature under the hover gradually over a period of weeks. It is good to have heat under the hover and have the rest of the pen or house cool. Chicks will gradually learn to regulate their location in the
temperature zone most comfortable for them.

Over a period of several weeks (outside temperature will make a difference) gradually raise the brooder hover or heat lamps. Birds should gradually become accustomed to the idea that the heat source is not necessary. Remember, the brooder has been a foster mother to them.

Chicks indicate when they are too cold or too warm. When too cold, they chirp-complain a lot; when too hot, they will lay down or try to pile in corners. When comfortable, young chicks form a ring on the floor under the heat source.

Litter for turkey poults

The purpose of litter is to provide comfort, and absorb droppings and excess moisture.

Use clean, dry, dustless litter 2-3 inches deep on concrete or wood floors. Dirt floors are not to be used as
it is impossible to clean and disinfect them.

Remove wet and caked spots in the litter immediately;replace with dry litter.

Day-old (and up to a week old) chicks may eat the litter instead of the feed. Cover the litter with rough paper or egg filler flats to prevent litter eating. When the birds are eating the feed well, remove the paper (slippery paper may cause leg problems).


Caring for Turkey Poults

Caring for your turkey poults can be a wonderful experience. Keep them clean, well fed and happy. This will give you the best turkeys for sale

Tips for choosing your poults

Selecting Chicks

- Buy from a reputable hatchery.

- Buy healthy chicks from a U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean
hatchery.

- If possible, work closely with the person from whom you
buy the chicks. If you are new in the poultry business,
the hatcheryman can help you.

- Select the breed or strain for the purpose intended.
There is no really good dual purpose chicken. There are
broiler strains and egg-laying strains of chickens.

- Neighbors who have had good results may give you the
name and address of the hatchery where they buy chicks.




Feeding Turkeys

Turkeys can be quite picky eaters. Whole yellow corn is the best grain to use for fattening turkeys. It is common for turkeys to eat mostly mash in very large quantities from about 12 to 16 weeks.

After they are about 16 weeks old, the turkeys often drop their consumption of mash and eat more grain. Oats and whole corn are good but they also will eat wheat, and sunflower seeds. Turkeys will eat up to 25% of their diet in green feeds such as Swiss Chard and Cabbage leaves. There is a drawback in that some green feeds can be stringy and block the intestines or cause them to become crop bound. Swiss Chard, Lettuce, and Spinach are considered safe.

Turkeys do not fatten well until cooler weather. Corn is very important to get the often desired yellow skin. Another way to fatten them if it isn't too expensive is to mix dry mash with skim milk. Never feed so much of the mash with milk that it isn't cleaned up in just a few minutes. You don't want the mash to ferment
.

Best time of the year to hatch poults

Poults are brooded later in the year than chicks. Turkeys require 24 - 28 weeks to reach good eating condition, so the time for starting them them is determined by the time you wish to eat them.

Smaller breeds mature in about 6 months and larger breeds such as the broad breasted, require an additional month. April 15 for the larger breeds and May 15 for the smaller breeds.

Because of the feed they eat, it is recommended to kill in prime condition at the 6 or 7 months old recommendation, rather than keep them alive. The meat also is in prime condition at that time and could toughen or change if kept too long. Plus they would eat a lot more feed, which by today's prices is just money out the window. Economically speaking, it is best to raise them to prime condition, then freeze them.

Breeding Turkeys for poults

Breeding turkeys for poults is considered to be a a very specialized part of turkey production and not really for the beginner

As with chickens you need to select your best stock. This is determined by shape, weight,general health and possibly even proper feather markings.

If you are raising Bronze, the hens should weigh 15 to 18 pounds at 24 weeks and the toms should be at least 25 at the same age. Smaller breeds would be selected by the proper characteristics for the breed.

Breeders can be kept in small pens or or kept in confinement. The breeders require at least 5 sq. ft. per bird, but this is relative to the amount as if you have a small number of birds, I have always had better luck giving them a good amount more room than the normal recommendations.

Individual turkey nests should be about 14"x24". One nest is sufficient for 5 birds. Community nests 3'x 6' would be enough for 20. Naturally the same feeders and waterers used for raising them would be fine.

You can purchase special breeder mashes online, but the rarity of it suggests that they do not need anything different than usual . In cooler weather, eggs should be gathered several times a day.

If you have a turkey that is broody, it is best to delouse her before putting her on eggs. Generally you will end up using an incubator because they leave the eggs after laying them.

If you are lucky, and the turkey sets a clutch of eggs, she can handle up to 15 or 20. Usually they only lay about 40 eggs per year. One tom can fertilize 12 - 18 hens.

The thing to remember is that turkeys, especially bronze, seem to have a hard time breeding. They do make special saddles MBL designs have some pretty fancy ones It is something with the ability of the Broad Breasted Bronze getting on and off the hen, which can make for infertile eggs.


The eggs do not have the same success rate as chicken eggs and it is actually quite a bit cheaper to just buy poults.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Advantages to raising your own Turkeys

Why raise turkeys?


Many people have already heard about those who grow their own vegetables and the money they save by doing so. But not many people have heard about the process of raising their own turkeys. Raising turkeys is different from raising vegetables in that turkeys require more maintenance and a shelter (called a coop).

However, turkeys provide more than vegetables can. Raising your own chickens can give you a bountiful amount of eggs on a regular basis, which are high in protein and are only about 171 calories per egg and full of protien. You can eat the meat of the turkey, also providing protein and giving you a cheap meal. You can use the manure the turkey provide to make your own fertilizer, which you know is natural and is cheaper than going out to the store to buy fertilizer. The turkeys are under your supervision, meaning no drugs have been administered to the turkey or placed in the eggs or meat. Turkeys also make great pets. They are easy going animals and have interesting and unique personalities.

Raising your own turkeys means you can save money on food, fertilizer, and buying a new pet. However, turkeys need shelter. Turkey coops can be built in many different sizes and are meant to hold all of the turkeys you own. Buying a professionally made turkey coop is expensive and not that much different than the coops that you can make yourself.

Are you interested in buying your own turkeys, but want to make the coop yourself? Want step by step instructions on how to build different sized poultry coops (with detailed pictures)? Check out this guide.




How to Raise Turkey

Raising Turkeys for sale and enjoyment

Raising turkeys is easy, since they are friendly by nature and they have been known to become pets. However, raising turkeys entails maintaining perfect living conditions.

Various Turkey Breeds

The turkey is native to America and all strains and breeds originated in the Unites States.

The original was the wild Bronze turkey, from which about eight varieties of turkeys emerged.

Broad Breasted White (Large White) is used mostly for commercial purposes. It is said to have more meat than other breeds.

Broad Breasted Bronze (Large Bronze,) which was popular some time back is not as appealing anymore, because of the black pin feathers which are noticeable on the dressed bird.

Beltsville White is the third variety, which is a small white-feathered bird.
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Eggs, Poults or Adult Birds?

Once a decision is made on the breed, it is time to decide on getting either eggs to be incubated, poults (baby turkeys) or breeding-age adult birds. The buying and maintenance of adult birds is very expensive but they are very delicious and can be very profitable

Brooding

Brooding will take place whether eggs are bought or one-day poults. Since poults overheat quickly, they are brooded at lower temperatures than chicks. Poults need plenty of room and do not thrive in overcrowded conditions.


Housing your Turkeys


Approximately 100 square feet – 10 x 10 feet is required for raising a small group of 10-12 day old poults. Pens should be planned in such a way that provision is made for enough space for their growth. A good idea is to have a sun porch that is 8 x 10 feet for every 20 large or 30 small turkeys. It should have 1 x 2 inch welded wire flooring with chicken wire sides and top. The porch should be at least one foot above ground level and should have a 10 x 10 foot brooding area.


Equipment for raising turkeys


Young poults should be kept warm and dry. Shavings, straw and crushed corn cobs make excellent litter material. Cover the litter material with burlap bags, cloth or rough paper for the first few days and by then the birds would know where the feed and water is and will not eat litter.


Keeping your poults warm


Your need to keep your turkey poults at steady temperatures.For a large number of poults, a 250-watt heat lamp hung a couple of feet above the floor level can provide the heat. This provides the warmth required as well as a cool area outside of the light. For fewer birds, a 100-watt bulb and a large cardboard box are sufficient.


Feeding and watering your turkeys


Feeders


A hanging feeder can be placed on the floor to enable day-old birds to eat from. As the turkeys grow, a covered and raised feeder, with mash at one end and grains at the other end works very well as the feed does not spoil by getting wet.


Waterers:


A chicken water fountain can be used for the first couple of weeks. A water can-pan with a wire guard works well as they grow.


Feed:


If raising turkeys commercially, there are around four different feeds to give the birds as they are grown from day-old to market: the starter, grower and finisher feeds.

The starter ration should be used for the first eight weeks. After that, the grower rations should be given. At 14 weeks of age, along with the finisher rations, they should also be able to feed small grains, such as corn, heavy oats, wheat, barley, emmer or spelt, in a separate feeder, which accommodates mash as well as grains. This mash and grain mixture should be fed up to 20-28 weeks, which is the age of slaughter. They can also be allowed out within the fencing, if there is good pasture.

Turkeys grown on commercial feed programs may grow faster but this feeding program will also produce good turkeys. Plenty of water, small grains, mash and good pasture should be provided at all times.


Interesting facts about raising turkeys

When most people think of a turkey they think of Thanksgiving dinner. While most who raise turkeys raise them for eating, some keep turkeys as a pet. And some do both, keep some as a pet while eating the others. There are many different breeds of turkeys, however there are two varieties, domestic and wild. The wild turkey lives and breeds in the wild and some are kept as pets. It can fly and is said to be smarter than the domestic.

The domestic turkey are the type eaten on thanksgiving and they cannot fly. The domestic and wild turkeys are physically different. Domestic turkeys are much larger than the wild turkeys. Wild turkeys have brown tipped tails, while the domestic is white. A wild turkey is much faster than the domestic turkey. The fastest wild turkey can run up to 35 mph, while a full grown domestic turkeys pace is a slow walk (females are a little faster because they weigh less than the male). Wild Turkeys have better eyesight and hearing than domestic turkeys. Only male turkeys gobble, female turkeys make a clucking sound but cannot gobble. Only the male turkey can fan his tail feathers, females cannot.

The turkeys crop is also called the craw. When turkeys feed they swallow lots of food which is stored in their crop. They then go to a safe place to loaf and process the food. Before you raise turkeys too, you need to know that turkeys don't have teeth, but they grind their food (even hard seeds and nuts like acorns) in their second stomach, the gizzard. This is the muscular stomach below the crop which is the glandular stomach. Look for the gizzard in the giblet bag.

All commercial turkeys produced today are the white broad breasted turkey breed. This breed was first used for commercial turkey production in the late 1950’s. By the late 1960’s the majority of the industry used this turkey breed.


Before You Raise Turkeys – Terminologies

Ideally, before you raise turkeys, it is helpful that you know the terminologies and interesting facts about turkeys so that you would not be thrown off guard when you read any related materials about turkeys. Raising turkeys on a small farm can be fun and profitable because they can be rotated like any other cash crop on your property. If you have a few acres that you could rotate pastured turkeys on, this could be a good side business for the small farmer. But dont worry you can also raise a couple on a small suburban plot

Here are some terminologies to broaden your horizon when you raise turkeys:

Tom:
Adult male turkey

Hen:
Adult female turkey

Poult:
Young one of turkey

Snood or Dew bill:
The fleshy protuberance near the base of the beck

Caruncles:
The fleshy protuberance on the head and neck usually pink or red in color which appear from about 5th week of age

Dewlap:
A large flap skin seen immediately below the chin

Bread:
A tuft of hair attached to the skin of the upper chest region

Strut:
Mating behavior of male turkey

Shooting the red:
The development of caruncles and this is supposed to indicate the most difficult time in the life of young turkey

Debeaking:
Poults should be debeaked to control feather picking and cannibalism. Debeaking can be done at day old or 3-5 weeks of age. Remove the beak at about one half the distance from nostril to the tip of the beak.

Desnooding:
Removal of the snood or dewbill is to prevent the head injuries from picking and fighting. At the day old the snood can be removed by shumbnail or finger pressure. At 3 weeks of age it can be cut off close to the head with sharp
scissors.

Detoeing or toe clipping:
Clipping is done at day old by removing the tip of the toe just to the inside of the outer most toe pad including the entire toenail.


Raising Turkeys – 6 Reasons Why You Should Start

Turkeys have been around for a long time. Turkey history actually starts millions of years ago. Their fossils have been found in Pleistocene deposits which means that they have been around more than twelve thousand years and their predecessors go back 50 to 60 million years to the Eocene period. Since the modern domesticated turkey is a descendant of the Wild Turkey, it is surmised that ancient Mesoamericans had chosen to domesticate and raise this species rather than the Ocellated Turkey which is found in far southern Mexico.

Turkeys require most of their care and attention during the first couple months. After this time they become much easier to care for. Turkeys are friendly and curious by nature.There are many reasons to raise turkeys.

1) Turkeys as food

Turkeys are traditionally eaten as the main course of large feasts at Christmas in much of the world, as well as Thanksgiving in the United States and Canada, though this tradition has its origins in modern times, rather than colonial as is often supposed. Sliced turkey is frequently used as a sandwich meat or served as cold cuts. Ground turkey is sold just as ground beef, and is frequently marketed as a healthy beef substitute. Without careful preparation, cooked turkey is usually considered to end up less moist than other poultry meats such as chicken or duck.

Wild turkeys, while technically the same species as domesticated turkeys, have a very different taste from farm-raised turkeys. Almost all of the meat is "dark" (even the breast) with a more intense flavor. Turkey is often found as a processed meat. It can be smoked and as such is sometimes sold as turkey ham. The white meat of turkey is generally considered healthier and less fattening than the dark meat, but the nutritional differences are small.

2) Turkeys as pets

While most that raise turkeys raise them for eating, some keep turkeys as a pet. This has been known to destroy their commercial value as Thanksgiving dinner. And some do both, keep some as a pet while eating the others. There are many different breeds of turkeys; however there are two varieties, domestic and wild. The wild turkey lives and breeds in the wild and some are kept as pets. It can fly and is said to be smarter than the domestic. The domestic turkeys are the type eaten on thanksgiving and they cannot fly. The domestic and wild turkeys are physically different.

Animal welfare groups such as Farm Sanctuary claim that turkeys are bright and social animals that can make suitable companion animals. US President George W. Bush noted the long tradition of keeping turkeys as pets in his 2001 National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation speech. Bush noted that Abraham Lincoln's son Tad kept a turkey as a White House pet.

3) Turkeys provide built-in pest control service

Turkeys may have the most varied diet of any animal known. They eat a variety of foods depending on availability, preference, and nutritional needs. All age classes eat insects when they are available. In the summer turkeys eat large quantities of insects, grass seeds, berries, and green leaves. Turkeys eat bugs, mosquitoes, ticks and flies too.

4) Turkey dung as fuel

Turkey droppings are being used as a fuel source in electric power plants. One such plant in western Minnesota provides 55 megawatts of power using 700,000 tons of dung per year. The plant began operating in 2007. Three such plants are in operation in England.

5) Easy hunting

Why spend hours cold, tired and damp hunting for wild turkeys when you can have your own healthy, organically raised , easy to catch turkeys

6) Great effective fertilizer


Turkeys the gift that keeps on giving. Poultry manure is an excellent source of nutrients for your vegatables, fruits and flowers