The following starting mashes are recommended for feeding turkey poults during the first 6 to 8 weeks. Mash No. 1, fed without liquid milk, is preferable.
| STARTING MASH NO. 1 | Parts by weight | |
| Yellow corn (ground) | 17 | |
| Whole oats (pulverized) | 15 | |
| Meat scrap (50- to 55-percent protein) | 12 | |
| Wheat bran | 12 | |
| Wheat middlings or shorts | 12 | |
| Dried milk | 10 | |
| Alfalfa leaf meal | 10 | |
| Fish meal (60-percent protein) | 10 | |
| Cod-liver oil | 1 | 1/2 |
| Salt (fine, sifted) | 1/2 | |
| Total (crude protein 25 percent; crude fiber 6 percent) | 100 | |
| STARTING MASH NO. 2 | Parts by weight | |
| Yellow corn (ground) | 33 | |
| Wheat middlings or shorts | 20 | |
| Wheat bran | 10 | |
| Whole oats (pulverized) | 10 | |
| Meat scrap (50- to 55-percent protein) | 10 | |
| Alfalfa leaf meal | 10 | |
| Fish meal (60-percent protein) | 5 | |
| Cod-liver oil | 1 | 1/2 |
| Salt (fine, sifted) | 1/2 | |
| Total (crude protein 19 percent; crude fiber 6 percent) | 100 | |
Starting mash No. 2 is advised for feeding when liquid skim milk or buttermilk is kept before the poults at all times. Some water is furnished, allowing one dish of water to several of milk. These starting mashes are fed without scratch grain; but water, green feed, and hard grit such as fine gravel, coarse sand, or commercial granite grit should be supplied. The green feed should be chopped fine and scattered on top of the mash in the feeders once or twice daily, allowing all the poults will consume in about half an hour. Tender alfalfa tops, onion tops, lettuce, and tender, short lawn clippings, preferably those containing clover, are all good feeds. Tough green feed should be avoided as it may cause impaction. Green feed as picked by the birds from the yards is most desirable. In that case hand feeding is not necessary. The mash in dry form should be kept before the poults at all times, but only enough mash to last for a day or two should be supplied at one time. About 1 inch of feeder space per poult (including both sides of the feeders) is desirable. This should be increased to 2 or 3 inches after about 2 or 3 weeks. Plans for feeders are shown in [figure 12].
FEEDING FROM 6 TO 8 WEEKS TO MARKETING TIME
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 191/2 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 |