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From page 31
White , Blue Turkey , Bourbon Red Turkey , British White , Buff Turkey , Royal Palm , Narragansett , Norfolk Black , Slate and White Holland . Turkey breed names often refertotheirplumage . Examine your smallholding as a turkey producing facility . Is the temperature right for your breed of turkey ? Do you have the right facilities or do you need to construct ? Is there a source of potable water nearby ? Can you run a freerange operation? Is there sufficient plant material or do you have to plant more ? Were there previous turkeys or animal epidemics near the area ? It is suggested that an acre of fenced land is sufficient for around 200 to 250 adult free-range turkeys . However , turkeys do require housing at night to protect them from predators . Despite their size , turkeys are not as hardy as some other poultry species and will appreciate shelter , away from extreme weather . In terms of municipal bylaws , turkeys fall under poultry legislation . Most municipalities state that one must have 0,5 m ² for each mature turkey accommodated in the poultry house . Plan your turkey house so that you can keep it dry and clean and ensure sufficient flow of fresh air inside the house , as ventilation is very important . Turkeys have the instinct to perch at night , so some stout poles placed in the housing , about 1m off the ground would be useful for the adult birds . However , little poults will try to perch on whatever is higher than them but perching too early , especially on a narrow pole , can dent the breast bone , so try to put this off for as long as possible . A bale of straw in the house will keep little poults very happy for a long time , jumping up and perching on
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it at night . When almost adult ( five - six months old ), they can be introduced to a purpose built perch , which they will welcome . You will need to provide feeding troughs and water dispensers . Turkeys are susceptible to the deadly blackhead disease . Visiting wild birds might be carriers , so it is best to keep the feed and water containers indoors if possible . If you intend to keep them free-range you will need to |
be able to rotate them through different camps . Perhaps you will allow them some time in a lucerne field , to provide a variety of forage . Don ' t leave them there for too long though , as lucerne sometimes makes the meat bitter . The best forages are full of legumes and have a good mix of species. By allowing your turkeys to forage they will eat as much as 25 % less commercial feed than if you didn ' t allow them to forage . Just make sure that |
POULTRY if they are out in pasture they also have some shade to get out of the mid-day sun . If you pasture your turkeys these fields will need to rest over the winter , as well as using additional fields for
rotation to minimise disease and damage to the pasture . During the season you may also need to reseed to keep your pastures in top condition . Even if you do pasture them they will still need additional
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