The Ultimate Guide to Feeding Turkeys on Your Homestead
Inside: Are you wondering about feeding turkeys once you get them? Whether it’s fresh produce, grains, let's talk about what they can and can't have.
Are you wondering about feeding turkeys once you get them? Whether it’s fresh produce or grains, let's talk about what they can and can't have. You should find all the information you need here in order to provide a nutritious and delicious diet for your flock of heritage turkeys.
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The Ultimate Guide to Feeding Turkeys on Your Homestead
Are you wondering about feeding turkeys once you get them? Whether it's fresh produce or grains, this comprehensive guide covers what turkeys can and can't eat to provide a nutritious diet for your future meat source and breeding stock.
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Feeding Turkeys: What Food Should You Give Turkeys
Turkeys are omnivores, meaning they eat both plant and animal matter. While commercial feed should form the foundation of their diet, you can supplement with household items like vegetables, fruits, and even Cheerios! For a sustainable homestead operation, balancing commercial feed with natural foraging is ideal for both your turkeys' health and your budget.
Commercial Turkey Feed – The Foundation
If you want to make raising turkeys straightforward and ensure proper nutrition, high-quality commercial non-medicated turkey feed is essential. Personally, I went to the feed store for the bulk of their diet. Using this type of feed meant that we didn't run into any health issues, they still had their fast growth and weren't stunted. Turkey food looks a lot like chicken feed but it does have a higher protein content.
I think this is the best way to feed turkeys, especially turkeys that you are raising for meat. But there are a lot of scraps that you can feed them as well, just like chickens.
This specially formulated feed provides the precise balance of nutrients turkeys need at different life stages:
- Turkey poults (0-8 weeks of life): 28% protein starter feed
- Young turkeys (8-16 weeks of life) 20-22% protein grower feed
- Adult turkeys (16+ weeks of life) 16-18% protein finisher feed
Feed should be available at most agricultural supply stores or feed mills. For meat birds, the proper feed progression ensures optimal growth and development.
Free Range Benefits for Turkeys
Free-range turkeys will eat a variety of natural food sources when allowed to forage wild plants:
- Acorns and other nuts
- Seeds and grains, including spilled birdseed or corn and wheat in agricultural fields
- Berries, wild grapes, crabapples, and other small fruits
- Fleshy plant parts, such as buds, roots, bulbs
- Plant foliage, grass, and tender young leaves or shoots
- Large insects, including grasshoppers, spiders, and caterpillars
- Snails, slugs, and worms
- Sand and small gravel for grit to aid proper digestion
Free-ranging reduces feed costs while providing enrichment for your birds. Adult turkeys particularly benefit from foraging in grassy areas with diverse vegetation.
Supplemental Feeding for Homestead Turkeys
Beyond commercial feed and free-ranging, you can supplement your turkeys' diet with various foods.
What Can You Feed a Turkey?
- Cracked or whole-kernel corn (especially good in winter for energy)
- Sunflower seeds and other grains
- Cooked beans and legumes (never raw)
- Vegetable scraps from your kitchen
- Mealworms and other protein-rich insects, which they can get on their own during the summer months
- Crushed eggshells for calcium (critical for breeding hens), another option is oyster shell added to their feed
- Leafy plants that grow around your property are great for treats them
For supplemental feeding, provide approximately 1/2 cup per turkey per day in addition to their regular feed. Young poults have different nutritional needs than adult turkeys, so adjust accordingly.
Seasonal Considerations
The time of year affects what's naturally available for turkeys:
- Early spring: Fresh greens and sprouting plants
- Summer: Abundant insects and berries
- Fall: Seeds, nuts, and waste grains from harvested fields
- Winter: Limited natural forage, requiring more supplemental feeding
Proper Turkey Feeding Practices
Even with free-ranging, commercial feed remains necessary for homestead turkeys, especially for meat production. Turkeys require significantly higher protein than chickens—adequate protein is crucial for proper growth and health.
Best Practices for Feeding Homestead Turkeys:
- Provide free access to fresh, clean water at all times
- Keep feed dry and protected from weather
- Ensure adequate feeder space to prevent competition
- Feed at consistent times each day
- Separate male turkeys (toms) from females (hens) if aggressive feeding behavior develops
- Monitor body condition regularly, adjusting feed amounts as needed
Foods to NEVER Feed Turkeys
The following foods can be toxic or harmful to turkeys:
- Avocados (contain persin, toxic to most birds)
- Dried/Raw Beans (contain phytohemagglutinin)
- Fruit Pits and Seeds (may contain cyanide compounds)
- Tomato and Eggplant Leaves (nightshade family, contain solanine)
- Onions and Garlic (can cause anemia)
- Processed Foods (too much salt, preservatives)
- Chocolate (contains theobromine)
- Citrus Fruits (can cause digestive issues)
- Coffee/Tea (caffeine is toxic)
- Green Potato Peels (contain solanine)
- Mango Peels (contain urushiol, same as poison ivy)
- Rhubarb Leaves (contain oxalic acid)
Safe Fruits for Turkeys
Can turkeys eat peaches? Yes, peaches and bananas were our turkeys' favorite foods! Turkeys love many fruits, but always remove pits first, and you might want to limit sweet treats like peaches and bananas to small amounts due to the sugar.
Some fresh fruits, including cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots have pits containing cyanide compounds, which are poisonous.
Practical Homestead Considerations
While raising turkeys can be rewarding, there are practical challenges:
- Feed costs can be substantial, especially for larger breeds
- Confined turkeys require regular coop and run cleaning
- Consider predator protection, especially if free-ranging
- Dogs with high prey drives may pose a threat unless properly trained
A good idea for homesteaders is to start with a manageable number of birds and scale up as you gain experience. Strategic placement of water sources in close proximity to shelter can encourage turkeys to return at night, even when free-ranging.
Special Considerations for Breeding Stock
If you're raising turkeys for hatching eggs and sustainability:
- Breeding turkey hens need additional calcium for egg production
- Maintain proper nutrition year-round, not just during growing season
- Consider separate feeding regimens for breeder birds versus meat birds
- Monitor health closely, as breeding stock represents your ongoing investment
By understanding the nutritional needs of these fascinating game birds and implementing proper feeding practices, you can successfully raise turkeys as both a sustainable meat source and for hatching future generations on your homestead. Some turkey breeds are better for this than others! Please do your research of course on the different breeds before you get started, the wild eastern turkeys is a great option, they are raised for meat and for turkey eggs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often do turkeys need to be fed? Turkeys can be fed free-choice throughout the day.
What is the feed requirement for a turkey? The essential dietary needs of turkeys include a 28% protein ration for the first four weeks, 24% for the next four weeks, and then reduced to 20% until grown.
Is it OK to feed turkeys bread? Bread fills up a small stomach in a hurry. The bird doesn't know the food is empty calories for them.
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