A turkey takes about three times as long to grow as a broiler, and over that time small mistakes add up quietly. A weight gap at week three becomes kilograms by week sixteen that you will never win back. That’s why it helps to split rearing into stages and know what to watch in each.
Four stages
| Age | Main goal | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| 0–4 weeks | Keep the birds alive | Heat, feed and water in the first day, mortality |
| 5–8 weeks | Build the frame | Stocking density, legs, uniformity |
| 9–16 weeks | Put on mass | Weekly gain, feed use |
| Week 17 to slaughter | Finish to market weight | Feed conversion and the cost of each kilogram |
Brooding: the first four weeks
A day-old poult needs 35–37 °C (95–99 °F) at back height under the brooder, and noticeably cooler at the edges of the ring so it can choose its own spot. After that, lower the temperature by about 3 °C a week. Watch behavior: poults huddled under the lamp are cold; poults spread along the walls, panting, are too hot.
The biggest danger in this period isn’t disease — it’s poults failing to find feed and water. More on that in why turkey poults die.
Turkey starter is richer in protein than chick feed: 26–28%. Chick starter won’t do — poults on it grow slower and develop more leg problems.
Weight by week
These are guidelines for heavy strains under normal conditions. Hens grow slower and go to slaughter earlier. Take exact figures from your strain’s management guide.
| Age | Toms, kg | Hens, kg |
|---|---|---|
| 4 weeks | 1.2–1.4 | 1.0–1.2 |
| 8 weeks | 4.5–5 | 3.5–4 |
| 12 weeks | 9–10 | 6.5–7 |
| 16 weeks | 14–15 | 9.5–10.5 |
| 20 weeks | 18–20 | — |
From 6–8 weeks it’s better to rear toms and hens separately: they have different slaughter ages and feed needs, and big toms push hens away from the feeders.
How to weigh
Once a week, on the same day and at the same hour, before feeding. Catch birds from different corners of the pen, not the ones that walk up first — the biggest birds tend to come to people. In a small flock weigh 20–30 birds, in a large one at least 50. If the average is more than 10% behind the guide, look for the cause now, not at the end of the cycle.
When to slaughter
The calendar doesn’t decide this — money does. After 16–18 weeks gain slows down while feed per kilogram keeps rising. Heavy-strain hens usually go at 14–16 weeks, toms at 18–22. How to find the point where keeping birds longer no longer pays is covered in how much feed a turkey eats.
The whole flock on one screen
In EggPulse you create a turkey flock with its placement date and log weighings, feed and mortality as you go. Each week’s weight sits next to the previous one, so falling behind schedule is visible while it can still be fixed.
