How to Choose Turkey Feed Formulas at Each Stage

Mastering turkey breeding feed is very important; the quality of the breeding feed determines the production efficiency of turkeys. To improve turkey production efficiency, it is necessary to control the supply of nutrients in turkey feed. So let's take a look below at how to choose feed for turkeys at each stage of breeding.

Turkey feeding methods include grazing plus dry feed, fresh pasture plus dry feed, grass meal plus dry feed, and complete dry feed. Whether grazing or housing and feeding pasture, all have a certain effect on promoting turkey weight gain, improving production capacity, and improving feed utilization. However, they also have drawbacks such as a large amount of labor and site restrictions, and are not suitable for modern turkey production. At present, the main feeding method is to use complete formula feed. The raw materials that make up complete formula feed include corn, barley, wheat, broken rice, soybean cake, fish meal, alfalfa meal, wheat bran, stone powder, vitamins, minerals, etc.

Design Principles of Feed Formulas

The following principles must be considered when designing feed formulas: local feed resources and prices, and choosing high-quality and low-cost raw materials as much as possible to reduce costs. Different breeds of turkeys or the same breed at different physiological stages have different feed formulas, and attention should also be paid to appropriate adjustments during use to alleviate the effects of climate, disease, and other stress. When feed formulas change, they should be changed gradually. Feed formula design can use the trial and error method, formula method, square method, line drawing method, and electronic computer method. No matter what method is used, the basic principle is to adjust the content of various types of feed raw materials to meet all the nutritional needs and balance of turkeys. When feed with higher energy is needed, the proportion of grains should be increased in the formula; when high-protein feed is needed, the proportion of plant or animal protein raw materials such as fish meal and soybean cake should be increased. The feed formulas actually used should be adapted to local and timely conditions, and should not be copied mechanically.

Formula for Young Chicks

Suitable for 0~8 weeks of age. The total mix can be adjusted to 100% by increasing alfalfa meal or wheat bran by 0.41%.

The amount of soybean meal in the formula is relatively high. If soybean meal is reduced by 10%, the amount of alfalfa meal also needs to be reduced by 4.5%, then adjust soybean meal to 8.69%, soybean meal to 27.47%, corn to 36.56%, and alfalfa meal to 2.7%.

Or reduce soybean meal by 10% and add corn gluten meal 7.44%, then adjust soybean meal to .96%, soybean meal to 17.34%, and corn to 34.75%.

If soybean meal is not used, then adjust soybean meal to 34.2%, corn to 29.72%, and add animal fat 4.3%.

If imported fish meal is reduced by 5%, then add meat and bone meal 5% and reduce alfalfa meal by 1%; it is necessary to adjust corn to 31.14%, soybean meal to 20.49%, shell powder to 0.19%, remove bone meal, and add methionine 0.02%.

If at the same time soybean meal is reduced by 10%, imported fish meal by 5%, and alfalfa meal by 4.5%, and meat and bone meal 5% and peanut cake 4.17% are added, adjust corn to 36.26%, soybean meal to 24.7%, shell powder to 0.19%, remove bone meal, and add methionine 0.02%.

Formula for Growing Turkeys

Suitable for 9~16 weeks of age. Methionine 0.02% needs to be added, and all nutritional indicators can be met. The mix amount can be adjusted to 100% by reducing alfalfa meal by 0.07%.

If soybean meal is reduced by 10% and alfalfa meal by 4.5%, then adjust soybean meal to 3.18%, alfalfa meal to 3.56%, corn to 49.11%, and soybean meal to 21.96%.

If peanut cake 4%, cottonseed cake 3%, and rapeseed cake 2.41% are added, then adjust soybean meal to 4.41% and corn to 42.75%.

If the amount of alfalfa meal is reduced by 4%, then increase wheat bran by 5.96%, and adjust corn to 41.63% and soybean meal to 12.98%. Or adjust by adding raw materials such as paddy, brewer's grains, and rice bran.

Formula for Growing Turkeys

Suitable for 17~26 weeks of age. Methionine 0.01% and lysine 0.12% need to be added, and all nutritional indicators can be met. The mix amount can be adjusted to 100% by increasing alfalfa meal, wheat bran, etc.

The amount of alfalfa meal in the formula is relatively high. If it is reduced by 10%, then increase wheat bran to 14.9%, adjust corn to 52.2%, alfalfa meal to 8.47%, and remove soybean meal.

Or reduce alfalfa meal by 10% and increase sweet potato vine meal by 10.57%, then adjust corn to 56.01%, soybean meal to 13.2%, and alfalfa meal to 8.47%.

If the amounts of alfalfa meal and corn are reduced at the same time, alfalfa meal can be reduced by 10%, paddy increased by 20%, corn adjusted to 39%, alfalfa meal to 8.47%, soybean meal to 2.46%, and wheat bran increased by 5.5%.

Formula for Breeding Turkeys

Used during the laying period. Methionine 0.01% needs to be added, and all nutritional indicators can be met. In the formula, reduce alfalfa meal by 0.32% to adjust the mix amount to 100%.

The amount of alfalfa meal in the formula is relatively high. If it is reduced by 10%, then increase wheat bran to 14.9%, adjust corn to 46.14%, soybean meal to 2.05%, and alfalfa meal to 6.2%.

Or if the amount of corn is reduced at the same time, then reduce alfalfa meal by 10% and add hulled barley 20%, adjust corn to 33.74%, alfalfa meal to 6.2%, soybean meal to 1.05%, and increase wheat bran by 8.3%.

Formula for Fattening

Suitable for fattening meat-type turkeys after 18 weeks of age. Methionine 0.05% and lysine 0.5% need to be added, and all nutritional indicators can be met. The total mix amount can be adjusted by adding raw materials such as broken rice, soybean meal, and peanut cake. If broken rice 8.45% is added, then corn needs to be reduced by 8.79%, soybean meal by 0.59%, and wheat bran increased by 0.93%. If wheat bran is not increased, then adjust the mix amount to 100%.

The amount of sorghum in the formula can be reduced by 10%, then adjust sorghum to 5.52%, corn to 70.79%, soybean meal to 6.85%, and alfalfa meal to 1.79%.

If the amounts of sorghum and corn are reduced at the same time, such as reducing sorghum by 5% and adding broken rice 30%, then adjust corn to 34.94%, sorghum to 10.52%, soybean meal to 4.85%, and increase wheat bran by 4.45%.