Why are turkey poults so fragile? Dying poult. PLS help!!

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chickensioux

chickensioux

Songster
10 Years
Feb 12, 2009
4,229
61
241
Western North Carolina
Left the house for 1 1/2 hrs today, came home to find one poult on its back and listless. I have been nurturing it with a syringe and water with vits and electrolytes for several hours now and it is still breathing heavily and not very perky. Is it going to die? What else can I do? Why do several of them flip over onto their backs and can't get up? Do I need to camp out by the brooder? Help?
Please advise...
 
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Sorry to hear that.
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In my experience when they get to that stage they never come back. Last year had a couple that wandered away from the heat for the night and i kept them alive for 2 days ,for them to just collapse and die.

Why do several of them flip over onto their backs and can't get up?

According to a study done on this exact thing, of the potential factors influencing poult flip-overs, only late hatched poults and slow genetic growth appeared to be important influences.

The heritability of the trait appeared to be low, so selection would not be very effective in reducing the occurrence of flip-overs.

Selection for increased egg production has led to changes in other traits, including body weight, fertility, average clutch length, egg weight, days lost to broodiness (Anthony et al., 1991; Nestor et al., 1996), and changes in egg composition (Nestor and Noble, 1995). From the current study, it appeared that increased occurrence of poult flip-overs was another correlated response to long-term selection for increased egg production.​
 
Hi ya!!
I have struggled with poults. I have never had a baby chick die (and I have hatched about 200 this year). the poults? Sheesh I stink as a turkey mama. I ordered 15-got 16 and now I am down to 10... So fragile, man alive...
It sounds like you are doing everything "right" I hope you have better luck than I have had...
 
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Thanks to the folks that have offered real answers. Thanks Harp for giving me an intelligent and insightful answer. I will keep trying but at least now I kind of know what to expect. It's nice to ask for help and get it.
 

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