How Do You Make a Turkey Gain Weight?

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HoppinHalfPints

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Hello RTers!

So, I have a turkey. I really need to make her gain weight (about 9-10 pounds) and I only have about 4 1/2 weeks to do it. We exercise her, give her vitamin B12, and put gatorade in her water to give her energy. But, it still doesn't seem like its enough (although the scale we are using seems a bit faulty, so we'll see.)

The last time we weighed her (which was a little under a week ago), she was about 15 pounds. The ideal weight is 25, and the lowest is 20 (for our standards, anyway). I have to get her up to this weight or else I won't do well in market (and consequently, won't make as much money.)

Does anybody know of a good way to make a turkey gain weight?


Thanks!

:bunnyhop:
 
Age? Breed? Flock size?

I'm running Broad Breasted Bronze right now (a meat variety). Lower end of normal is 16 pounds at 16 weeks for hens. 15 pounds sounds just about right, unless she's a different specialty breed or significantly older.

It's hard to get one turkey to cooperate. They're flocking birds, much like chickens. I was told (couldn't verify, as I followed the advice) that small groups of meat chickens don't gain as well as larger ones. They get depressed, and unlike humans depressed chickens lose weight. :lol:

Cracked corn should help pack on the pounds, though. Try giving this a read, it has some good info. http://extension.psu.edu/business/ag-al ... production
 
She's a Broad Breasted White, she was born in February, and she lives with 2 other turkeys who are bigger than her. The size requirements of a turkey hen for show is 15- 30 pounds. I'll have to try that cracked corn.
 
You're just about right on track. I calculated based on 2/28/13, which would make her about 14 weeks. 15 pounds is average at that age.

If you have 4 weeks, you should be just around the 20 pound mark. I don't think you'd want to try to force a hen to pack on 10 pounds (about 75% of her current body weight) in 4 weeks. You could end up making her ill.
 
I wasn't planning on forcing her, more like I was hoping lol. It's good that shes right on track...We'll try to get a more accurate weight. I really want to do well at the local fair, although this year has definitely not been easy. I lost the first turkey I got as a chick, and I ended up getting this one from a friend (who's turkeys are from the same batch). Then, recently, 3 turkeys in our club died, one from a broken wing, one from swallowing a stone, and one from breaking its leg. And, we only have 2 spares. :evil:


:bunnyhop:


Thanks!
 
Now she is 16 pounds, and according to the book I have (Storey's Guide to Raising Turkeys) that is about the average. *sigh* :laugh2:


Stuff it? Haha. Never thought of that... :roll:


:bunnyhop:
 
you may also try feeding her grass clippings and bread.
the turkeys a friend of mine raises really seem to pack on the weight, when he feed them fresh grass cutting and weeds from his veggie patch. my wife volunteers at the local food bank, she gets all the left over bread at the end of the week.
we take it out to his turkeys and chickens, they go wild.
good luck, I hope she makes weight. Thats funny, it is the first time I have ever wished a female to gain weight, and not got in trouble. LOL
 
Do you free feed? I know our turkeys seemed scrawny for aaaaages and all of a sudden bulked out, I guess the meat finally caught up to the bones.
 
I have them at my Turkey leaders house. I go over in the morning, feed, water, and exercise the 3. Apparently they feed them in the afternoon and at night. We have also started to integrate scratch. Hopefully it will work.
 
You really don't want her to gain too quickly as it makes meat birds more susceptible to flip and is hard on their frames which could result in broken bones, torn ligaments and other injuries.

That being said, I second the idea of bread and milk, that's what we did with a few of our ducklings who were lagging behind. Soak bread in milk, let dry, and crumble it up. Corn will pack on the pounds too. I'd just be careful about adding high calorie foods unless she's severely under weight, which it doesn't sound like she is. I have always stressed about keeping my turkeys from gaining too much weight.
 
Pepperoni":96j629l2 said:
Soak bread in milk, let dry, and crumble it up.
Click to expand...

I would never have thought to feed it dry- I would've just given it to them milk and all. :? Is there a reason not to feed it to them while it is wet?

Soaking in goat milk replacer and then drying sounds like a spectacular technique for does or kits that need a boost. :)
 
MamaSheepdog":2ig899j2 said:
I would never have thought to feed it dry- I would've just given it to them milk and all. :? Is there a reason not to feed it to them while it is wet
Click to expand...

Honestly. I'm not sure of an exact reason, it's just something I've heard. I don't mean completely dry, just until its not soggy feeling and can crumble up. I imagine it keeps birds from taking too big of a chunk at once and a large compacted mass of bread would be pretty hard to digest, or maybe it's just an old wives tale ;)
 
How to make a turkey gain weight....put it in the oven stuffed with some celery and carrots along with some lovely juices so it can marinate for a while. :chef: Then invite us over for dinner :)
 
mystang89":1lt0obt8 said:
How to make a turkey gain weight....put it in the oven stuffed with some celery and carrots along with some lovely juices so it can marinate for a while. :chef: Then invite us over for dinner :)
Click to expand...


:roll:

This turkey isn't for me. I'm selling her at the local fair at the small livestock auction.
 

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