POULTS!!!! Fuzzy Poults!!!! What a surprise!!!!

Oh my goodness!!! I have had some questions along the way about candling and such... my hen laid twenty eggs over QUITE a long period and most before I really saw any breeding. I REALLY doubted any were viable, except maybe more recent ones and was going to try candling again this weekend to get rid of any "duds" from over a month ago. BUT, miracle of all miracles and WHAT A SURPRISE.... I have poults!!!! She's up on the nest and this is my VERY first time being a grandma of ANY sort of poultry so many questions to follow but, I know there are at least a couple and one got too far from her so I had to give him back and my, OH MY, was that cute!!! I am in love all over again
Congratulations Meepette "MaMa" Baisley!!! What a gentle, tender, doting Mommy and I am SO proud!!!!

So I really didn't expect hatching right now and it caught me a little unprepared My hens nest is actually up on a large shelf (that's what she chose and I couldn't break her of it). I did manage to run a 6" high board along it so as to make a bit of a "box" last month, but I'm already seeing these little guys getting frisky and when I went back to check on them, one was down on the floor chirping He seemed fine - just cold and I gave him back. Is there anything I can do?? I'm sure I can't move them during hatching and I don't want to disturb them. I could secure a cardboard wall around it that would be a little higher.. but the roof is slanted so if I go too high, it would be hard for her to get down. Any suggestions or specific steps in getting them to the floor after hatching? I put in more cedar on the floor (cause it's a 4 foot drop) so it's very thick now but I'm worried.

I've heard of a lot of people raising poults in a brooder while the hen finishes her hatch. Is this a good or bad idea?? She seems like a REALLY doting mother so would it really upset her?? I raised a 5 day old poult last year, inside in a home-made brooder but.. this is different... I'm lost

I would probably take them. However, some people may think that it's cruel to take the babies away from it's mother. But on the other hand you don't want them to get hurt.

If there are any other turkeys in the pen then the poults should be taken away for their own safety. the other turkeys may peck at or step on the poults and injure or kill them. If the hen is alone then you can try letting her raise them, but watch her closely to make sure that she does not decide to abandon them and to make sure that she isn't accidentally stepping on them and hurting them. some turkeys are great mothers and others are terrible, it all depends on the individual bird. If you find any injured chicks I would take them all away immediately.
Good luck.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I woke up every two hours last night and then, at my final wake-up call in the morning I went in to find every one of the four poults hatched so far, on the floor, in a Chryo-Freeze (except one who was still frantically chirping). And Mom was actually on the ground, trying to call them to her (I guess once all four of them were out of the nest she decided to leave her eggs to try to save her poults). I KNOW she would be a wonderful Mom and she still keeps looking down from her nest (I think she's looking for them), but I felt I had to take them away LUCKILY, I warmed them all up as quickly but safely as I could and all four are fine. Except one seems to have a developmental problem (mal-formation) of one leg. I think it was born with it and he sure is trying to make it. I am brooding them inside now of course... it's also just been really cold outside and it seemed like the only right option to me I feel bad for my Mama - but at least she's got her eggs for now and we'll see how the rest goes. I'm a little worried cause I wasn't expecting this and I'm in college.

Oh, SonnyGirl! One thing you can always depend upon is that your birds will do things at the most inconvenient time for you.

Interesting that you describe the mom's behavior to run with the hatched poults and leave the unhatched eggs. Many people say that guinea fowl are not good mothers. It has always been my theory that guinea females lay such large clutches of eggs - 30 or more - with the intention of running off with the first dozen that hatch out. This is called "survival of the fittest." And it has worked for them for millions of years on the savannah of South Africa where there is no dewy grass to contend with first thing in the morning.

Carmen

Hi Carmen and thanks for the reply!! Always nice to get responses and some supportive/comforting words! It's funny cause I met a woman in agway today (supply run!!) who provides all the chicks and poultry babies for my local agway and she said the same thing!! That it seems they will always skip the nice weather and a GOOD time for you and have babies when it's freezing cold and the worst possible time in your life haha. With all things considered, I was POSITIVE I wasn't having babies for another two weeks minimum Ah well, so much for planning ahead!
And I couldn't agree more with you about the Mamas!! My hen hatched four last night.. if one poult climbed over the wall and was chirping on the ground, she stayed with the remaining poults and eggs. It happened three times (tormenting ME too- on whether to take them away or not). But when ALL of the poults made it to the ground, she prioritized and left the eggs to try to save her poults!! She was right down there, off her nest, lost-calling and hovering over the most lively one!! It was amazing, touching, and traumatizing to me!! LOL. Thank god they're ok... just wish I had even ONE thing working for me (like the weather!) so they could have stayed with her She's back on the nest but no more hatching today/tonight. Poor tired, sweet Mommy.

FarmerGilland said:

I would probably take them. However, some people may think that it's cruel to take the babies away from it's mother. But on the other hand you don't want them to get hurt.

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95% of the time, I remove the poults from the mother and bring them inside in a brooder. I don't think it's cruel. I agree with you in that I don't want to see any of the babies get hurt.

I let the turkey poults get strong in house couple days and if all eggs not hatched I bring the rest in the incubator and give babies back to momma turkey. Ours always take them back even few days later. They look at me like Thanks I am so glad you made them get stronger and start being good momma.

If it is too cold have you thought of hanging light with 100 watt bulb near the momma turkey to help babies stay warm.