I have never kept turkeys, but I have read somewhere that Turkeys are very personable birds and you can easily teach them to eat out of your hand, come to your call, and they will often follow you around, begging for treats and attention. The more you handle them, the tamer they will become. Contrary to popular belief, turkeys do not drown in the rain, although young birds have been known to become ill and die if they become wet and chilled. They can be a very enjoyable bird to have around. A person even trained a couple of hens to walk up and down the stairs, and they do understand phrases like "up" and "in"... These guys would have had a visual treat indeed!!!
And regarding food, this is what I found in the net -
Turkeys need higher protein than Chickens. The poults will need a 28% protein starter for the first 6-8 weeks. After that you can change them over to a feed with an 18% protein. Never feed them layer pellets, as the calcium level is too high for growing birds. When they are about 3 weeks old, you can start sprinkling a little chick grit on their feed. Do not give them scratch until they are at least 8 weeks old, then you can give them a little as a treat. When the hens begin to lay they should have free choice access to grit and oyster shell. They will appreciate greens, bread, garden trimmings and other treats as well.
Good look with house training it!! |