Rations for growing the poults after the age of 6 to 8 weeks may include
mash and whole grain or liquid milk and whole grain. Many turkeys are
grown and fattened on grain supplemented with whatever insects and
green feed can be obtained from the range. A better plan is to provide
sufficient protein and minerals to give normal growth. The minimum
feeding advised is to allow each day one liberal feeding of a 20-percent
protein mash, or to furnish all the milk the birds will drink with a
feeding of whole grain. Either the mash or the liquid milk should be used
with liberal feedings of whole grain for fattening in the fall.
Good growing mashes suitable for different conditions may be made as
follows:
GROWING MASH NO. 1 _Parts by
weight_
Yellow corn or barley (ground) 25
Oats or grain sorghum (ground) 25
Wheat middlings or shorts 20
Meat scrap (50- to 55-percent protein) 19
Wheat bran 10
Salt (fine, sifted) 1
-------
Total (crude protein 19 to 21 percent) 100
GROWING MASH NO. 2 _Parts by
weight_
Yellow corn or barley (ground) 32
Soybean oil meal 26
Wheat middlings or shorts 15
Wheat bran 10
Oats or grain sorghum (ground) 10
Steamed bonemeal 4
Ground oystershell or limestone 2
Salt (fine, sifted) 1
-------
Total (crude protein 19-1/2 percent) 100
GROWING MASH NO. 3 _Parts by
weight_
Yellow corn (ground) 35
Meat scrap (50- to 55-percent protein) 15
Wheat bran 10
Wheat middlings or shorts 10
Oats or barley (ground) 10
Alfalfa leaf meal 10
Dried milk 9
Salt (fine, sifted) 1
-------
Total (crude protein 20 to 21 percent) 100
GROWING MASH NO. 4 _Parts by
weight_
Yellow corn (ground) 20
Wheat middlings (standard or brown) 15
Oats (finely ground) 15
Wheat bran 10
Alfalfa leaf meal 10
Yellow corn gluten meal 10
Dried milk 10
Meat scrap (50- to 55-percent protein) 5
Steamed bonemeal 2
Ground oystershell or limestone 2
Salt (fine, sifted) 1
-------
Total (crude protein 20 percent;
crude fiber 6 percent) 100
These growing mashes are all fed with scratch grains consisting of such
grains as corn, wheat, barley, and oats. Corn, wheat, or barley may be
used as the only scratch grain except with growing mash No. 4, which
should contain from 50 to 75 percent of oats. A good grain mixture may be
made of 40 parts of corn, 40 parts of wheat, and 20 parts of oats. Mashes
1 and 2 are for flocks having access to a good green range. In mash No. 2
soybean oil meal, which has proved to be a good source of protein and is
also good for fattening, is substituted for meat scrap. Mash No. 3 is a
more complete ration and is advised for all conditions where the turkeys
do not have an abundance of growing green feed.
Other combinations of grains and byproducts may be used successfully,
the exact selection depending largely on availability and cost of feeds.
It is best to use at least two grains, and preferably three or four, in
the ration. Corn is the grain most commonly used in feeding turkeys. Not
more than 60 percent of the entire growing ration should consist of
oats or barley or a combination of the two. Yellow corn tends to produce
a deep-yellow skin color while white corn, barley, and wheat produce
turkeys with light-colored skins.
If the birds have all the milk they will drink along with whole grains,
they will consume enough milk to make good growth, if no water is fed.
A mixture of 30 percent of corn, 30 percent of oats, 20 percent of
wheat, and 20 percent of barley is satisfactory; so is a free choice of
several grains. However, the whole-grain and liquid-milk method works
well only when the birds are on a good, green range and is practical to
use only when milk products are cheap. Some loss from pendulous crops is
to be expected when liquid milk is consumed liberally and this is one
of the chief objections to its use. The milk receptacles should be set
on a wire screen and covered to protect them from the weather and from
contamination with droppings. Sanitation is especially important when
milk is used.