Colored Feed for Turkey Poults

Natural feed ingredients vary considerably in their coloring. When formulae are changed, a resulting change in the color of the mixed feed may take place. Buyers of the feed may not like the variation in color from one mix to another. Also, turkeys do not take readily to changes as observed by the author. It also seemed to the author that turkeys liked green color as indicated by their ready acceptance of succulent green feed, even though they had not been accustomed to it. It may also be possible that some colors of feed might be attractive to newly hatched poults, causing them to find feed early and reduce the incidence of starve-outs. Anderson and Briggs (1948) fed feed colored orange, red, and blue by use of synthetic dyes added to a white, purified type diet. The feed was fed for four weeks from 1 day of age. Position…