While some might dismiss the idea of raising turkeys for profit, homesteaders know that these birds can be voracious eaters and have specific protein requirements. However, it is possible to turn this perceived drawback into an opportunity. By implementing certain strategies, you can successfully raise turkeys for a profit. Here’s where we’ll explore some key tips to help you get started.
Raising Turkeys Poults
When it comes to raising turkeys during the poult stage, there’s no getting around the fact that this early period can be particularly challenging. In fact, the first month of life is often marked by significant losses in poults. One of the main difficulties is that young turkeys struggle to adapt to their new environment, making it hard for them to find food and water. This, in turn, can lead to mistakes like eating non-food items or overcrowding, which can have devastating consequences.
Add to this the specific temperature and protein requirements these poults need, and you can see why many breeders face significant challenges during this time. However, with some careful planning and attention to detail, it’s possible to mitigate these issues and give your turkey poults the best chance at survival.
Food and Water Tricks
When introducing turkey poults to a brooder box, it’s essential to take a few crucial steps. First, dip their beaks in water to help them understand where to find hydration – a process that may require repetition. Additionally, placing shiny objects in the water can grab their attention, encouraging them to drink by pecking at the stimuli. Meanwhile, ensure you’re providing a high-protein diet tailored to their life stages.
Initially, they should consume around 26% protein, which can be reduced to 20% as they mature and transition to game feed. During the finishing stage, the protein content can be lowered to approximately 18%. Furthermore, when feeding turkey poults, it’s vital to place a piece of cardboard under their feeder to prevent confusion between bedding and fallen feed. If not addressed, poults may mistake their bedding for food, leading to suffocation due to inability to swallow.
Brooder Box Specifics
To ensure your turkey poults thrive in their brooder box, maintain a temperature range of 95-100°F for the initial stages. As they grow and develop feathers, you can gradually decrease the temperature by five degrees each week until they’re able to regulate their body heat independently. Additionally, it’s crucial to round out the corners of the brood box with cardboard.
This simple step can prevent poults from becoming wedged or suffocated when they naturally pile on top of each other in times of stress. If left unchecked, this habit can lead to fatalities. By taking these precautions, you’ll significantly enhance your turkey poults’ chances of survival during their early days.
Raising Your Own Feed
Raising turkeys for profit can be a daunting task, primarily due to their voracious appetite. On average, male turkeys (toms) require an astonishing 100 pounds of food over just six months, making their dietary needs a significant expense. Fortunately, there are strategies to help mitigate these costs.
To make turkey farming more profitable, consider the following approaches:
You Won’t Escape Buying Feed
It’s essential to acknowledge that turkeys require a high-protein diet, making it necessary to provide feed for them. While you can attempt to supplement their nutrition, I wouldn’t rely solely on this approach to meet their needs. Instead, consider purchasing game bird feed and keeping it readily accessible. Additionally, don’t underestimate the value of foraging and growing your own natural foods, which turkeys tend to prefer.
However, ensure that a well-rounded commercial feed is also available, as this will provide everything they need in one convenient package, ultimately minimizing any potential waste and maximizing the benefits of raising these birds.
Put Them on Pasture
When it comes to housing your turkeys, consider placing them on pasture if you have the available land. A key consideration is ensuring you have sufficient space to rotate the birds, as they will quickly devour any vegetation in their path. Properly rotating the flock not only allows for grass replenishment but also provides an opportunity for the birds to forage for protein-rich insects, reptiles, and small snakes.
To safeguard your turkeys from predators and give them a safe haven at night, utilize electric fencing to create a protected zone. By adopting this natural approach to feeding, you can eliminate added expenses and provide a nutritious diet for your flock.
Put Your Trees to Work
If you’re fortunate enough to have nut trees in your yard, consider harvesting the nuts as a nutritious feed source for your turkeys. Wild turkeys, for instance, feast on acorns, walnuts, and other seeds they come across. On our property, we have an abundance of black walnut trees that would otherwise go unused – until I discovered their value as a natural turkey feed. If you don’t have access to nut trees, there’s still hope!
Online communities often have members posting about excess nuts in their yards, available for the taking. Many people are more than happy to give them away free of charge, as long as someone comes to collect them – it’s a win-win situation, really. They appreciate having the nuts removed to avoid damaging their lawn mowers and keep their lawns looking tidy.
Raise the Grains
When it comes to feeding turkeys, several grains are popular choices among farmers and backyard enthusiasts alike. Corn and wheat are two common options, with wheat being particularly useful as a winter cover crop. Once the growing season is over, you can harvest the wheat and use it as a nutritious feed source for your turkeys. You can also plant corn in a designated area of your garden, allowing the birds to forage for themselves as the crop matures.
As they pick out what they like, any leftovers can be composted and reused in your garden come next year’s planting season.
Pick Your Berry Patch
As a berry enthusiast, I cultivate an array of delicious fruits around my property, including blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries. By the time the growing season concludes, I’m exhausted from harvesting and processing the bounty, having frozen, canned, and dried as much as I can for the year ahead. Surprisingly, this still leaves a surplus of berries, which would otherwise go to waste.
To make the most of this situation, I like to share my excess berries with my turkeys, providing them with a nutritious treat while simultaneously giving my wallet a break from the financial burden of storing and utilizing the entire harvest.
Save Your Grass Clippings and Weeds
We reside on a sprawling 10-acre property, with four acres dedicated to our meticulously manicured lawn. I take pride in maintaining this serene landscape, as the vibrant hues of freshly cut grass provide a picturesque backdrop for our farm. However, I’m also mindful of reducing waste and repurposing resources whenever possible. As such, we collect all our clippings from these four acres and utilize them as nutrient-rich feed for our feathered friends.
The principle is simple: just because you may not have acres to mow, there’s still value in collecting what you do have and utilizing it as a sustainable food source – be it for your own backyard flock or even wild turkeys that would greatly appreciate the fresh greens. By adopting this approach, we’re not only minimizing waste but also fostering a deeper connection with nature.
Raise a Worm Farm
Turkeys require high-protein diets, which they typically obtain by foraging for insects in the wild. However, when this isn’t possible on your property, consider bringing the bugs to them instead. A compact and discreet way to do so is by raising earthworms or mealworms in bins within your home. These worms can be harvested as a nutritious snack for your turkeys, providing a natural boost to their protein intake without breaking the bank.
DIY Grit
Turkeys rely on grit to facilitate their food grinding process, as they lack teeth. Without ingesting this crucial substance, they are forced to swallow their food whole, posing significant choking hazards that can be fatal. To mitigate this risk, turkey owners have two options: either purchase commercial grit or harvest natural materials from their surroundings.
For instance, small pebbles and sand found on one’s property can serve as a natural substitute for commercial grit, which turkeys will readily consume and utilize effectively.
Raise Grasshoppers
Turkeys have a natural affinity for grasshoppers, incorporating them into their diet as a valuable source of protein in the wild. This instinctual behavior can be leveraged by turkey enthusiasts, providing a cost-effective means of supplementing your birds’ nutrition. By raising grasshoppers specifically to feed your turkeys, you can significantly reduce your reliance on commercial feeds and provide the essential protein boost necessary for optimal growth and development.
Pick Your Beetles
If Japanese Beetles have been making a meal out of your garden’s bounty, don’t immediately assume they’re an enemy. In fact, they can be a valuable source of protein for your turkeys. The next time you spot these pesky insects on your crops, consider capturing them in a cup and offering them as a treat to your feathered friends. Not only will your turkeys appreciate the snack, but it’ll also spare your plants from further damage.
Prepare the Eggs
Integrating poultry farming can be an efficient way to provide essential nutrients to your birds without adding extra expenses. Consider repurposing excess chicken eggs as a nutritious treat for your turkeys. The process is straightforward: hard boil the eggs, but leave their shells intact. Then, offer them whole to your flock as a protein-rich snack that’s free of additional cost.
Oats and Rye
When it comes time to feed your turkeys, incorporating grains like oats and rye into your cover crops can be a great idea. Not only do these grains provide a nutritious source of food for your birds, but they also serve as an effective means of protecting the soil from erosion and unwanted weeds. As the warmer months roll around and the need for these cover crops diminishes, you may find that harvesting the oats and rye provides a convenient and cost-free way to supplement your turkeys’ diet.
Kale Anyone?
I’ve come to appreciate the humble kale over the years. Its rugged texture makes it an ideal addition to salads, providing a sense of fullness that lasts. But what’s equally impressive is its potential to benefit our feathered friends – turkeys, in particular. When cultivating kale for personal consumption, consider dedicating a few extra plants to your turkey flock.
This thoughtful gesture will not only provide a nutritious boost but also offer a welcome change from their usual diet, all while keeping some green in your pocket.
Plant Clover and Alfalfa
When it comes to preserving the integrity of their garden spaces or addressing soil issues on larger plots of land, some individuals turn to ground cover crops. These versatile plants not only provide a protective barrier but also serve as a valuable source of nutrition for animals. In particular, clover and alfalfa are standout options due to their dual benefits: they safeguard the land while also offering a delicious feedstock for poultry like turkeys. The best part?
Establishing these crops is relatively straightforward and budget-friendly.
Save the Dandelions
If dandelions have taken over your yard, don’t view it as a nuisance. Instead, recognize the opportunity to nourish your backyard ecosystem. These humble weeds are a valuable source of sustenance for bees and can even be brewed into a soothing tea. Moreover, they’re a versatile ingredient that can be incorporated into a variety of tasty dishes. If you’re not interested in reaping these benefits yourself or supporting local pollinators, consider sharing them with your turkeys.
They’ll appreciate the treat just as much as the bees!
Grow a Small Garden for the Birds
Consider diversifying your turkey’s diet by cultivating a dedicated garden specifically for them. Turkeys have a unique affinity for sweet potatoes, winter squash, pumpkins, and potatoes. By growing a set of vegetables tailored to their tastes in sufficient quantities, you can supplement their store-bought feed with fresh, nutritious produce. This approach can help reduce your overall feed costs.
Processing at the Right Time
When it comes to raising turkeys for profit, processing them at the right time can significantly reduce costs. Some farmers believe that larger birds, weighing 20 pounds or more, are the most desirable and will generate more revenue. However, this approach requires additional time, money, and effort to provide sufficient feed, not to mention the logistical challenges of handling massive birds.
A more practical approach is to raise turkeys for around five to six months, depending on the breed, and harvest them when they reach 10-14 pounds. This strategy allows you to save time and resources while still offering a competitive price for locally raised turkeys. To cater to customers seeking larger birds, emphasize that smaller sizes can be more affordable and easier to manage in the kitchen.
You could also highlight the benefit of buying two smaller birds, which would provide the same amount of turkey meat at a potentially lower cost.
Customers, Laws, and Legalities
To successfully raise turkeys for profit, it’s crucial to establish a customer base. While commercial growers prioritize speed and cost-effectiveness, many consumers value transparency about animal welfare, diet, and handling methods. When setting your prices, factor in expenses, time invested, and a reasonable markup to ensure profitability. It’s also essential to research competitors’ pricing and local laws regarding meat sales, including potential inspections and registration requirements.
Additionally, consider liability issues and develop strategies for addressing unhappy customers. With ingenuity, hard work, and effective marketing, you can create a thriving turkey-raising business that attracts repeat customers seeking premium products. By producing high-quality birds and showcasing the value of your effort, you can establish a loyal customer base and potentially boost your homestead’s income.