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Step-by-step guides for every animal, the garden, orchard, pasture and compost: getting started, housing, feeding, daily care, breeding, health and harvest.
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A few turkeys raised from spring poults fill the holiday table and the freezer. Broad-breasted birds grow fast; heritage breeds forage, breed on their own and taste richer.
- Eggs hatch in
- 28 days
- Poult starter
- 26–28% protein
- Broad-breasted ready
- 14–20 weeks
- Heritage ready
- 24–28 weeks
1Getting started
- Broad-breasted White or Bronze grow huge fast but can’t mate naturally; heritage breeds (Bourbon Red, Narragansett, Standard Bronze) can.
- Order poults in spring; count back from the date you want them processed.
- Turkeys are curious and friendly — and need more room and higher fences than chickens.
2Brooding poults
- Brooder 95°F the first week, dropping 5°F a week; poults chill easily for the first 3 weeks.
- Use a turkey or game-bird starter (26–28% protein); chick starter is too low.
- Poults can be slow to find food and water — shiny marbles in the waterer and tapping the feed helps them start.
3Housing
- About 8 sq ft each inside, 25 sq ft outside; broad-breasted toms need 10 sq ft or more.
- Low, sturdy roosts (about 2 ft per bird) — heavy birds hurt their legs jumping down from high ones.
- Heritage turkeys fly: a covered run or a 5–6 ft fence.
4Feeding
- Starter to about 8 weeks, then grower (about 20%), then a finisher for the last month.
- Pasture, bugs and garden waste cut feed costs and improve flavor.
- Fresh water always — turkeys drink a lot as they grow.
5Health
- Blackhead disease (histomoniasis) is carried by worms that chickens harbor — keep turkeys off ground chickens use, if you can.
- Broad-breasted birds can have leg and heart trouble if overfed; don’t push their growth.
- Watch for pecking injuries and separate a bleeding bird right away.
6Processing
- Take feed away 8–12 hours before; a big turkey needs a large pot or a scalder at about 140–145°F.
- Expect about 75–80% of live weight as an oven-ready bird.
- Rest in the fridge 1–2 days before cooking or freezing for tender meat.
Space guide
For each animalFencing: Covered run or 5–6 ft fence — heritage turkeys fly
- About 2 ft of roost per bird
- Broad-breasted toms need 10 sq ft or more indoors
Rules of thumb — more room is always better, and breed, climate and local rules can change what you need. Sketch it out in the Barn & Garden Planner.
Put it to work
These free tools keep the records for you once you’ve made an account:
These are rules of thumb from university extension guidance. Breed, climate and your state’s rules change the details — your county extension office is the best place to ask, and you can find it on the selling rules page by ZIP code.