It all begins with the eggs — and that should stop all these questions about which really came first. Turkey rearing should always begin with getting a good batch of either eggs or chicks from reputable suppliers only. If you have an incubator set up, you might want to acquire fertilized turkey eggs so that you can monitor their growth from the earliest possible time. However, if that is not possible, you might want to order in chicks from turkey farms that you trust instead.
At four weeks, the two things you should be on the lookout for in turkey rearing are cases of diarrhea and crooked legs. These are likely indications that either the birds are not getting the proper nutrition (e.g. not getting the correct amount and type of feeds, or not having access to water, or unsanitary living conditions); or that the batch that was given to you is not from quality stock.
Providing the right amount of heating is essential when it comes to turkey rearing. Young chicks tend to pile up on top of each other if these become too cold. This might look cute, but the chick at the bottom of the pile might get smothered to death. Heat from lights might be a good thing to introduce to their living quarters — that is, if you are taking care of less than 10 birds at a time. Introducing heated air from vents might be a better idea if you plan to take care of more than 10 birds.
The type of food you want to give your bird pets is dependent on what kind of farming practice you engage in. Organic farming means that you restrict the turkeys’ diet to organic and fresh food items like alfalfa and corn and soybean meals.