Please Help! Poults dying shortly after hatch?!

[lialua87]

I have a forced air incubator and I have successfully hatched chicks in it. I decided to hatch turkey eggs, everything went off without a hitch and they hatched today on day 28 but... They only survive 2 to 6 hours gasp and then die in the brooder. Does anyone possibly know why so I can prevent this? The brooder is 98 degrees...

 

[enola]

98* is a little warm. Can they get away from the source of heat? How big is the brooder? What is the heat source?

 

[lialua87]

It is a trough about 40 inches in length and the heat lamp is at one end so they can get away if too warm or closer if they are cold... They stayed in the middle tho.. Is that too warm?

 

[enola]

What is the temperature at the cool end?

 

[lialua87]

75 at the cool end.... The relative humidity in the house registered 50 to 60 through out their incubation because it's been raining would that have been a factor also?

 

[lialua87]

Is the temp difference between the two ends too much?

 

[enola]

OK I went back and read your post again. What day did they hatch? How old are they when you took them out of the incubator?

 

[lialua87]

They hatched early this morning on day 29... They were dry and fluffy and the only 2 eggs I set so I took them out when they were 5 hours... Was that too early? I have never hatched turkeys before...

 

[enola]

I have never hatched turkeys, but I have hatched thousands of chicks. I never take chicks out of the incubator before 48 hours.

I guess I am not much help...

 

[lialua87]

No thank you for answering! Maybe I took them out too soon?