Another turkey question

[Valerie]

Y'all, if I order 15 poults, what are the chances all 15 will live long enough to make it out of the brooder and move outside? I'll probably be brooding them either in the shed or in the house, so they will be dry and on shavings.

I'm just thinking that I don't know if I will have room for 15 big turkeys!

Also, if I let them reproduce on their own, about how many does one hen usually hatch?

There's a kid down the road in 4H, so I'm wondering if she would want one or two of the little guys, or if I even need to worry about it.

Oh yeah, would 16 square feet be enough brooder space for them? I'm having an idea involving a sheet of plywood, some hinges, and my shed. (I really do not like brooding in the house and it will still be too cool to move them outside, as early as I will need to order them).

[Cyngbaeld]

A turkey hen can cover a dozen eggs with no problem. You're getting a heritage breed, aren't you?

Do order a few chicks at the same time, even if they are just some cockerels or some broilers. The turkeys will do much better with the chicks to encourage them to eat.

When you are ready to put them outside, start some copper sulfate, 1/4 tsp per gallon of drinking water and they shouldn't get blackhead or worms.

When you get them home, put some sugar in their water, about 1 TBS per quart and put 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper per cup of turkey starter. I wet down the feed so it doesn't get spilled and wasted and make the brooder stink. I feed them in small dishes like custard cups or 1/2 pt wide mouth canning jars. Make sure they cannot fall into the waterer or get shoved into a corner. Use a quail waterer for the first few days then switch to the chick waterer and put some marbles in the water.

Give them some chopped raw liver occasionally for a good boost.

If they didn't get stressed too much on the trip they should do fine. It doesn't hurt to put tetracycline in the water, 1 tsp/gallon for the first few days and then give them some yogurt or buttermilk mixed in the feed.

[Granny Smith]

Put some marbles in the feed, too. They're too dumb to know what's food and will starve to death if left to their own devices. They peck at the shiny marbles, miss, and accidentally get the food. After a few days, they realize what's food and you can take the marbles out.

I usually order 25 turkeys and might lose one or two. The first time I bought them, I didn't know about the marbles and lost all of them. Since then, I don't find them any harder to raise than chicks.

16 square feet should be fine for starting them. They're about the same size as chicks when you first get them and are slower growing.

[Valerie]

Yes, I am planning on getting a heritage breed, although I haven't quite narrowed down to which one yet. Cackle Hatchery has specials if you get 15 of one breed. But if getting chicks with them is better, I can get maybe 10 poults and 5 chicks. They don't care, as long as you get 15 birds. Also that will cost less.

Thanks for all the good information! You guys are great!