Growing up and moving out

The turkeys are 4 weeks old now and getting big. It was time for them to move out of their brooder in our pole building and out into their coop. They made the trip out yesterday along with the 4 broilers that are keeping them company.

We had let the grasses and weeds grow up in the coop from last year so now they have some greens to eat and scratch around in. One of the turkey poults didn't make it. It had been showing signs of splayed leg and after treating it for over a week it just wasn't improving and had to be culled. The other two are doing great!

We switched them over to an organic 28% turkey feed a couple of weeks ago. We are very lucky to have a feed mill in town here that mixes their own organic feeds. Yes it's  more expensive than conventional feed but if we are going to raise our own turkeys why not do it as natural as possible.

There's been lots of other things going on that I need to post updates on so stay tuned!
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The turkeys are here!

I got the call from the feed store this afternoon.

The turkey poults we ordered were in!!

This one was pretty sleepy when I got them home. We ordered three Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys. We can only get the bronze and white hybrids at our local feed store. It's hard to find a place to order just a few turkeys from so we take what we can get. These came from Sunnyside Hatchery in Beaver Dam. The hatchery has several delivery days where they drive up all the chicks that are ordered.

The feed store usually gets 25 broilers and brown layers to sell in addition to the customer orders. I picked up 4 broilers to go into the brooder along with the turkeys. I have read that they help the turkeys learn to eat and drink. I guess they aren't the smartest bunch! LOL  That way they have some company too.

I started them all on medicated chick crumbles and will stay on that for 2 weeks before switching out to an organic turkey grower (28% protein) that is milled locally. We haven't really gone the organic route before but after finding the mill in town mixes their own right here we are trying them out. I think it will make for a really tasty Thanksgiving meal!

Now I wonder if we should name them???