Turkey — Feed Requirements Guide

Turkeys are the largest common poultry species raised for meat, with toms reaching 40-45 lbs and hens 18-22 lbs at market weight. An average turkey at 25 lbs consumes approximately 0.75 lbs of feed per day (roughly 12 ounces), with lifetime feed conversion ratios of 2.5-3.0 for hens and 2.7-3.2 for toms. Turkey nutrition requires the highest protein levels of any common livestock species, starting at 28% crude protein for poults and gradually decreasing to 16-18% for finishers. The amino acid methionine is often the first-limiting nutrient in turkey diets, unlike broilers where it is typically the second-limiting after lysine. Turkey production is highly seasonal in the United States, with the majority of birds raised for Thanksgiving and Christmas markets, though year-round production supplies the growing deli meat market.

Avg Weight

25 lbs

DMI %

3.5%

Daily DMI

0.9 lbs

Min Protein

22%

TDN

75%

Species

Meleagris gallopavo

Turkey Nutritional Requirements by Life Stage

The table below shows how dry matter intake, protein requirements, and feed costs change across the 3 life stages of turkey production. Life stage adjustments account for the dramatically different energy and protein demands of lactation, growth, gestation, and maintenance. Click any life stage for a dedicated page with detailed feeding recommendations and management tips.

Life Stage	DMI Adj.	Daily DMI	Protein %	Daily Protein	Monthly Cost*
Poult (0-4 weeks)	0.5x	0.4 lbs	27.5%	0.1 lbs	$1.12
Growing (5-12 weeks)	1x	0.9 lbs	22%	0.2 lbs	$2.24
Finisher (13+ weeks)	1.4x	1.2 lbs	17.6%	0.2 lbs	$3.13

*Monthly cost estimated using grass hay at $150/ton. Actual costs vary by feed type and region.

Recommended Feeds for Turkey

The following feeds meet both the minimum crude protein and TDN requirements for turkey at maintenance level (22% protein, 75% TDN) when fed as the sole feed source. In practice, most feeding programs combine multiple feed ingredients to optimize cost and nutritional balance.

Feed	Protein	TDN	As-Fed/Day	Cost/Ton
Soybean Meal	44%	84%	1.0 lbs	$450
Cottonseed Meal	41%	75%	1.0 lbs	$380
Distillers Grains (Dried)	27%	86%	1.0 lbs	$200
Broiler Starter	22%	78%	1.0 lbs	$450

Feeds Requiring Supplementation

These feeds meet either the protein or TDN requirement but not both, and would need to be combined with other feeds in a balanced ration. The table indicates which nutritional requirement is met and which needs supplementation.

Feed	Protein	TDN	Protein OK?	TDN OK?
Whole Corn	9%	88%	No	Yes
Cracked Corn	9%	88%	No	Yes
Barley	13%	84%	No	Yes
Corn Gluten Feed	21%	80%	No	Yes
Canola Meal	36%	74%	Yes	No
Fat Supplement (Bypass Fat)	0%	180%	No	Yes
Urea (Feed Grade)	281%	0%	Yes	No
Brewers Grains (Wet)	26%	66%	Yes	No

Feeding Turkey at Different Body Weights

Body weight directly determines dry matter intake. The table below shows how daily feed requirements change across a range of body weights for turkey at maintenance level. Use the calculator for custom weights, life stages, and herd sizes.

Body Weight	Daily DMI	Daily Protein	Monthly Feed	Annual Feed
15 lbs	0.5 lbs	0.1 lbs	16 lbs	0.10 tons
20 lbs	0.7 lbs	0.2 lbs	21 lbs	0.13 tons
25 lbs	0.9 lbs	0.2 lbs	26 lbs	0.16 tons
30 lbs	1.1 lbs	0.2 lbs	32 lbs	0.19 tons
38 lbs	1.3 lbs	0.3 lbs	40 lbs	0.24 tons

Herd Size Feed Budgets for Turkey

Planning feed purchases and storage requires estimating total feed needs for your herd over time. The table below shows monthly and annual feed requirements and costs for various herd sizes of turkey at maintenance level using grass hay at $150/ton.

Head Count	Daily DMI Total	Monthly Feed	Annual Feed	Annual Cost
5	4.4 lbs	0.07 tons	0.80 tons	$136.10
10	8.8 lbs	0.13 tons	1.60 tons	$272.19
25	21.9 lbs	0.33 tons	3.99 tons	$680.49
50	43.8 lbs	0.66 tons	7.98 tons	$1,360.97
100	87.5 lbs	1.31 tons	15.97 tons	$2,721.95
200	175.0 lbs	2.63 tons	31.94 tons	$5,443.89

Other Animals

Browse feed requirement guides for other livestock species.