# Turkey grower pellets



## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Anyone here use the turkey grower pellets without medication and without mixing them with seeds?


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

Are the carbs, fat, and protien what a pigeon needs?
Dave


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

I don't know, but thats what some of the guys winning all the pigeon shows are using, because they can't aford the seeds anymore.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

If it works for them then it works. The only thing I'd be concerned about, with show birds especially, is how high the protien might be.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

I have that information at home. I got a brochure at the feed store. I will look at it when I get there tonight.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> Anyone here use the turkey grower pellets without medication and without mixing them with seeds?


Look to http://www.auspigeonco.com.au/ to find complete article. 

THE USE OF PELLETTED RATIONS IN PIGEONS

By Dr Colin Walker BSc, BVSc, MRCVS, MACVSc (Avian health) 

Around the world, knowledge regarding avian nutrition has undergone quantum leaps in the last two decades. We now have a very clear understanding of the optimal nutritional requirements of pigeons..............................

In another instance, *a fancier added turkey grower pellets* to his grain blend during breeding. The high level of protein and calcium in this blend resulted in beautiful youngsters being produced. Because of this, he kept feeding the pellets as a proportion of the diet to his stock birds while they were not breeding. Several months later, some of these started to get sick. One was euthanized and autopsied. The persistently high protein, high calcium, high vitamin D3 levels in this diet for non-growing or breeding birds had damaged their kidneys and they were developing kidney failure. Correction of the diet resulted in all remaining birds recovering within 2 weeks. 

Fanciers often add iron to the diet or copper sulphate to the drinker (to combat canker). These are both heavy metals that are quickly absorbed into the system but only slowly excreted. With repeated low doses, these birds look fine but as the minerals accumulate in their bodies they have a variety of effects. The most common of these in the stock loft is reduced fertility. It can be hard for the fancier to relate the dead-in-shell youngsters, clear eggs and non-laying hens experienced during breeding to these treatments, which may have been given months earlier. 

With the nutritional knowledge available and the expertise used in making maintenance pellets, to me it makes no sense not to use them. Often they are also cheaper than grain.............


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Why not just switch to pigeon pellets? They are cheaper than buying grain aren't they?


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

I called everywhere around and know one sales the green and gold In my area. Half the places that sell purina never herd of them.


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## HmoobH8wj (Apr 7, 2011)

i use it too. but i dont mix it. it just there if they want to eat it.


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## HmoobH8wj (Apr 7, 2011)

here are some and see if they have some....

http://poultry.purinamills.com/dealerLocator/?SearchType=Z&ZipCode=17268


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

I already called all those places one said they could order it and it would take 3 weeks to get it and I would have to order it every time i wanted some.


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## HmoobH8wj (Apr 7, 2011)

then most suck to be you then. sorry to say


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

IMO, I think they are fine to use for breeding birds.. but for a maintenance when not breeding is too high in protein which can damage their kidneys... they just do not need that high of protein when not feeding young(turkeys eat more protein as in bugs). also remember the trade off with pellet feed is the droppings will be sloppy and the loft messier and cleaning wet droppings if not used to it can take a bit more time, you may want to use a horse stall litter to dry it up.


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## First To Hatch (Jul 19, 2009)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> I don't know, but thats what some of the guys winning all the pigeon shows are using, because they can't aford the seeds anymore.


"Don't trust what anyone tells you, especially pigeon men"


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Don't think it's worth saving a little money on something like this.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

I mix either layer pellets, 16% protien or Rock-n-rooster booster pellets 20% half and half with grain. Depends on whether I can afford to go get the rooster stuff. Rock-n-rooster is $13 which is a whole lot cheaper than seed! I was surprised.


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

*I use Leach pigeon pellets mixed with my regular grain which is also Leach Royal race 16% and the pellets come in 16% and 22%. My mix is 7, 16% grain to 1 16% pellets this when not breeding. When breeding I use the 22% pellets and the mix I use then is 5, 16% grain and 2, 22%pellets. I use the pellets as a supplement to the grain.this works well for me *GEORGE


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## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

george simon said:


> *I use Leach pigeon pellets mixed with my regular grain which is also Leach Royal race 16% and the pellets come in 16% and 22%. My mix is 7, 16% grain to 1 16% pellets this when not breeding. When breeding I use the 22% pellets and the mix I use then is 5, 16% grain and 2, 22%pellets. I use the pellets as a supplement to the grain.this works well for me *GEORGE


So what you are saying is a mix of 16% protein is good for pigeons most of the year, no matter what the mix is made from ?, except when they are breeding. 
When you mix the pellets with grain don't you have the pellets left in the feeder?


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

ERIC K said:


> So what you are saying is a mix of 16% protein is good for pigeons most of the year, no matter what the mix is made from ?, except when they are breeding.
> *When you mix the pellets with grain don't you have the pellets left in the feeder*?


 I don't know what his answer will be, but I would say that is an indication they are overfed. You only feed what they will clean up, so if pellets are being left behind, then stop providing as much feed. Of if you are not premixing, then provide the pellet portion first.


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## Kal-El (Oct 10, 2008)

I believe anything is good, in moderation. If I was to go down the turkey grower pellets route, I'd mix 15% percent into my normal breeding mix. This will ensure that the breeding birds and growing youngsters get ample amounts of both. Of course, the downside to that mixture to that idea is seeing how effective said pellets actually are.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

Kal-El said:


> *I believe anything is good, in moderation.* If I was to go down the turkey grower pellets route, I'd mix 15% percent into my normal breeding mix. This will ensure that the breeding birds and growing youngsters get ample amounts of both. Of course, the downside to that mixture to that idea is seeing* how effective said pellets actually are*.


 There just has to be some exceptions, so I have to disagree with you. I would not suggest that anyone smoke crack cocaine even in moderation. And even a moderate amount of rat poison in your wife's morning coffee, I suspect could get one in a lot of trouble.... 

I'm thinking that some research went into turkey pellets, and so I suspect that they could work well if you are keeping turkeys. Course when you stray from directions on the bag, to even include different species, the results may not be uniform.


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## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

This guy I know has a turkey farm and he told me that the feed that get delieverd for his turkeys gets changed 8 times in the life of his birds. It would be a guess if you had the right pellet for pigeons. 

With that said I must confess to you all that I have been feeding my OBs PIG pellets for the past two weeks. The ingredients on the bag are 95% the same as what is on the nutraiblend Green bag lable. Only 16% protein. I want to try the Green and Gold but was told it would be two to three weeks wait. I tryed the pig pellets because another guy uses them for his breeders and has had no ill effects.


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## Chocolate Head (May 18, 2009)

*Flock Raiser*

I've been mixing Purina Flock Raiser with my grains during breeding season at the rate of 50/50. I also feed pure Flock Raiser on return day of races and it's working great. It's 20% protein and the birds love it. I've tried laying pellets, but the birds don't seem to like it nearly as much as the Flock Raiser.

I read an article by Dr. Wim Peters in the digest (Feeding to Win, September 1, 2011), about pellets being easier to digest and yielding better absorbtion. My system for return day from the races is ONLY pellets (or flock raiser) so my birds don't have to use energy to break down the food, and they absorb more of what they need. Then, each day I increase the amount of grains. This is the Cliff Notes version of my feeding system. By no means am I a master and we all know that feeding is an art and a science; however, my system is working for me and my birds. Hope this helps.

FYI, some guys in my club are feeding catfish pellets. It's 32% protein and made from pure grains, but I find my birds don't really like them. Plus the pellet it rather large and jagged.


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## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

Heritage Acres in Canada make a pellet for the day of return too. They State the same thing easy digestion and fast recovery.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

This is the pellets I'm thinking of, the fat and finish, Its only 17 a bag. I want to put my show babies on it when there weaned

http://www.blueseal.com/poultry/


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## Xueoo (Nov 20, 2009)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> Anyone here use the turkey grower pellets without medication and *without mixing them with seeds*?


The only issue I see with feeding turkey pellets as a sole ration is the high protein. Anything over 16% is too much in my opinion. I do feed a 24% turkey grower mixed with scratch grains to my pigeons, chickens, pheasants, etc, and they have no health issues. Mixing with scratch grain is also cheaper than full pellets as scratch is cheaper. I do an aproximate 4-1 ratio of scratch to grower mix. You can adjust the mix ratio depending on how they feel, but for about 20 years of personal experience, as long as they have a little high protein mix with the grains they should be fine. You just need to balance the protein% so they don't get fat. With fat comes health issues.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

My problem with feeding mixed feeds is how do you know how much protein they are really getting. If you feed only pellets you know. If you feed all seeds you don't really know because they pick and choose, right or wrong?


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## Kal-El (Oct 10, 2008)

SmithFamilyLoft said:


> There just has to be some exceptions, so I have to disagree with you. I would not suggest that anyone smoke crack cocaine even in moderation. And even a moderate amount of rat poison in your wife's morning coffee, I suspect could get one in a lot of trouble....
> 
> I'm thinking that some research went into turkey pellets, and so I suspect that they could work well if you are keeping turkeys. Course when you stray from directions on the bag, to even include different species, the results may not be uniform.


C'mon Warren, you know what I mean. Take what I said with a grain of salt. With crack, cocaine, rat poison, a little and you're a goner.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

I just bought the blue seal pellets 'fat and finish' 18% protein 5% fat that I am going to feed my young birds. I will feed only these pellets and see how they fill out till show time. They were 15.68 total for a 50 lb bag.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

that is a good price.. let us know how it works.


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## PigeonVilla (Dec 8, 2010)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> I just bought the blue seal pellets 'fat and finish' 18% protein 5% fat that I am going to feed my young birds. I will feed only these pellets and see how they fill out till show time. They were 15.68 total for a 50 lb bag.


 I use turkey finisher pellets for my birds all year long split with grains half and half ,they are 16% an I love the results they produce so you should do well with them too .


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

One thing about the pellets you can get any protein content you want.


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