Raising Turkeys
What You Need To Know About Raising Turkeys
Raising turkeys, whether done for hobby, for food, or for profit, can be a very fun and rewarding endeavor. It can be difficult, however, according to many experts, not to gain emotional attachment to these little characters, and many project Thanksgiving birds never make the feasting table for this reason. The turkey is highly curious, and this constant call to action within them can offer a mere human hours of entertainment and laughter. Caution is key, however, as many curious turkeys have drowned or suffocated to death by over-investigating new objects and interesting watering dishes. They could almost be considered as playful, but this natural curiosity must be prepared for if your venture toward raising turkeys is to be a success.
Another key fact about raising turkeys is that they are extremely friendly. The trusting eyes of a hand raised bird, watching them grow and discover their surroundings… it can all be very hard to ignore. Your turkeys will greet you at the fence and follow you about, sometimes gently pecking at your clothing while you work. If you have any sort of affinity for animals in general, the very last thing that will cross your mind is how good your feathered friend will taste at Christmas time. It is possible to name and care for your turkeys while maintaining the healthy attitude that they will live well, die painlessly, and give nutrition after they are gone. Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with keeping a pet turkey or two indefinitely.
The next tips for raising turkeys have to do with nutrition and feeding. Young turkeys will need to be fitted with a heating lamp, and the more turkeys that you raise the more warmth they will require. As the turkeys grow, they should be introduced to the rest of their large enclosure and allowed to wander away from the heat source while they learn to forage and feed. This might take a while, and it is recommended to anyone raising turkeys that there be a good number of feeders and watering options scattered around the pen. This will reduce instances where young turkeys will starve to death before figuring out how and what to eat.
Before you begin raising turkeys there are some very important health facts that you should be aware of. First of all, chickens carry a parasite called black head which is utterly hapless to them, but this condition can kill a turkey. Turkeys and chickens, therefore, should never be housed with or near each other. Also, in very rare and stressful circumstances, cannibalism can occur amongst flocks. Some turkeys are debeaked at a young age in order to prevent this problem, but close monitoring and ample space and feed should suffice.