Raising turkeys is both a practical and rewarding venture. Whether you're doing it for meat, breeding, or just to enjoy their curious personalities, turkeys require a slightly different approach than chickens or ducks. With the right setup and care, you can raise a healthy, thriving flock of turkeys in your backyard or homestead.
1. Choose the Right Turkey Breed
Start by picking a breed that fits your goals.
For meat, broad-breasted varieties like the Broad Breasted White or Bronze grow fast and large. For sustainable flocks or smaller homesteads, heritage breeds like Bourbon Reds or Narragansetts offer better flavor, hardiness, and natural mating abilities.
2. Start With Healthy Poults
Turkeys are more delicate in their early weeks.
Buy poults (baby turkeys) from a trusted source. Keep them warm, dry, and closely monitored for the first 6–8 weeks. Use a brooder with a heat lamp, absorbent bedding, and non-slip surfaces to prevent leg issues and stress.
3. Feed Appropriately for Each Stage
Turkeys need high-protein feed to grow strong and resist disease.
Use game bird starter or a special turkey starter feed with 24–28% protein for the first 6 weeks. Gradually transition to grower feed, and then to maintenance or finisher feed depending on whether you're raising for meat or keeping long-term.
4. Keep Their Environment Clean and Dry
Turkeys are highly susceptible to respiratory issues.
Clean their bedding often, avoid overcrowding, and ensure excellent ventilation. Keep feeders and waterers off the ground to prevent contamination, and always offer clean, fresh water.
5. Provide Plenty of Space to Roam
Turkeys need more room than chickens and thrive with outdoor access.
Provide at least 6–10 square feet per bird inside and much more in outdoor runs or pasture. Turkeys love to roam, forage, and stretch their wings, so give them space to explore safely.
6. Watch for Common Health Issues
Blackhead disease, coccidiosis, and respiratory infections are common in turkeys.
Keep them separate from chickens when possible, as chickens can carry diseases that turkeys are more vulnerable to. Use medicated feed if needed during brooding and maintain strict cleanliness practices.
7. Create a Safe and Comfortable Shelter
Turkeys need shelter from wind, rain, and predators.
Build a sturdy coop or shed with roosts that are lower and wider than those used for chickens, as turkeys are heavier and less agile. Ensure the space stays dry and draft-free during cold months.
8. Handle With Calm and Care
Turkeys can be friendly and tame when handled gently.
Spend time around your birds, move slowly, and avoid loud noises. Young turkeys imprint easily and can become attached to caregivers with regular contact and calm interactions.
9. Prepare for Seasonal Care Needs
Turkeys can handle cold well, but extreme conditions require adjustments.
Provide extra bedding in winter and shade in summer. Monitor their behavior — panting or huddling are signs of distress. During molting or breeding seasons, give them privacy and reduce handling.
10. Decide on Your Long-Term Plan
Know whether you're raising turkeys for meat, eggs, breeding, or as pets.
Meat birds grow quickly and should be harvested around 16–22 weeks. Heritage breeds can be part of a sustainable flock, laying eggs and raising poults. Your end goal determines how you feed, house, and interact with your turkeys long-term.
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