Feedback: Starters’ guide to keeping turkeys

I WANT TO KEEP TURKEYS

My name is Tina. I came across an article on turkey farming and developed interest in rearing the birds. My questions are;

1. Which is the best breed to keep in Kiserian for meat and eggs?
2. What vaccines do I require, and what age should I offer them?
3. Is there ready market for the birds?
4. What are the main challenges farmers face?
5. Do you know of a farm I can visit to witness the farming first hand?

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I am eager to start turkey farming, but I am not sure of where to get the best breeds. I am based in Limuru and I would like to be advised on how to keep and brood them. Limuru being a cold place, is it ideal for turkeys? How can I get their feeds?

Joseph

Turkey farming is one of the unique business ideas you can venture into. The easiest and least expensive way to get started with turkeys is to buy day-old chicks (poults).

Another way is to buy turkey hens and a tom or gobbler. The incubation period is 28 days. You can choose to incubate the eggs naturally or artificially. Naturally, turkeys are good brooders and the broody hen can hatch 10-15 eggs.

Select clean eggs with good eggshell and shape for brooding for high hatchability and healthy turkey chicks. Brooding in turkey takes 0-4 weeks.

Turkey chicks need double space as compared to chicken’s, at 1.5 to 2ft per bird. Brooding day-old chicks can be done using infra-red bulbs.

You will need to set up a brooder area before the birds arrive. Line it with about an inch of wood shavings and provide a source of heat to keep the birds warm.

The brooder should be warm and dry and most importantly, have a round-design to avoid them from huddling in a corner and suffocating each other. Temperature at the floor level for the first week should be between 32 and 38oC.

Thereafter, withdraw the heat source to reduce the floor temperature by 2oC each week for the next four weeks. It takes about 3.25kg of feed to produce 1kg of live turkey weight. A feeder and waterer for every 25 birds is needed.

Start your turkeys on starter mash. Make sure there is plenty of starter mash in the feeders, and that the chicks have fresh, clean water at all times. Common varieties of turkeys include Broad breasted bronze and Broad breasted white.

By the tenth week the chicks should be ready to switch from starter mash to growers’ mash. Include grit and continue giving it with the mash two times a week. The turkey will also need greens and other foods added to its diet.

In intensive system, greens can be fed up to 50 per cent of the total diet on dry mash basis. Fresh lucerne is first class green feed for turkeys of all ages.

Foods such as cracked maize grains and soya bean meal are also great choices. Other supplements such as vitamins and minerals should be added. This will ensure that they stay healthy and grow up without any problems.

To avoid leg weakness and lameness in free-ranging birds, calcium should be supplemented at the rate of 250g per week per bird. Ten per cent of feed can be substituted with vegetable waste to reduce the cost of feed.

Turkeys are very good scavengers consuming earthworms, small insects, snails, kitchen waste and termites, all rich in protein and this can reduce the feed cost by 50 per cent.

Make sure that they have fresh water at all times and the feed is adequate. Water should be about body temperature to prevent turkeys from cold.

Turkeys don't add fat until they are 22 weeks. It takes about 24-28 weeks to completely finish a turkey. This usually comes about when the birds reach 8kg or more depending on the breed.

For the best quality meat, grains given to the bird should be at least 70 per cent maize by the 20th week. Also, allow the birds to be on fresh grass pasture throughout the finishing period until the last 18 hours.

Separate and give plenty of fresh clean water without food in the last 18 hours before slaughter. The dressing percentage of turkey is 80-87 per cent, which is highest of all farm species.

A market study shows that a male turkey at 24 weeks of age weighing 10 to 20kg is sold for an average of Sh500 per kilo and it can go a bit higher when demand if high. The net profit of a turkey is pretty substantial. Limuru is good for turkey farming. You can visit Ndeiya Farm, Limuru.

Dennis Kigiri, Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University.

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FEEDING KIENYEJI CHICKENS

I’m a small-scale poultry farmer rearing Kienyeji chickens. I would like to know whether layers mash can help in increasing the egg production in my flock.

They are mostly free-range and I normally give them the Kienyeji feed, omena and food leftovers.

Tony, Mombasa

Feeding chicken correctly with the right quality and quantity of feed ensures that they perform optimally. Free-ranging chicken might not meet their nutritional requirements and, therefore, giving them high quality feed ensures they have enough energy for maintenance and egg production. Buy feeds from reputable companies especially Kienyeji layers mash.

Dennis Kigiri,
Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University.

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MY BANANA FRUITS HAVE RUSTY, ASHY APPEARANCE

I farm bananas and lately, I have observed the fruits have some rusty and ashy appearance on the skin. What is the cause?

Susan

This is caused by a pest called Banana rust thrip, which has yellowish wings. The damage done by thrips is by oviposition (laying eggs) on the young fruits.

The thrip causes smoky or red discolouration between individual fingers. The skin becomes reddish brown, roughened and dull in appearance; superficial cracks appear in discoloured skin.

The fruits may also split. You can control by using only clean corms, dipping in Metasystox 0.1 per cent solution to control the spread of the disease or spraying the bunches after emergence with 0.2 per cent of Phosphomidan for effective control of pest.

Carol Mutua,
Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University.