Failing at this turkey thing???

[ChickyMudder]

Am I failing at turkeys? I have raised chickens for decades. I did my research. I prepped the brooder. I tested the ceramic heat source to a temp of 95 degrees. I gave the poults room temp electrolyte water. I used a high contrast surface to introduce food. I gave them 30% protein crumbles. I gave them a baby chick to remind them to eat and drink.

But they are all huddled up as if they are cold. I have a govee wifi hygrometer that texts me the temp. It says 101 to 104! But they are still huddled up. Whats going on?
Are they cold?
Nobody is panting….
Are they scared and huddled?
Will they overheat?

Thanks in advance

 

[R2elk]

Nobody told me how sweet the connection with a turkey is.

Turkey poults are professional tuggers of heart strings. There have been many who have failed when it comes time to process them because they become too attached to them.

 

[R2elk]

The white box is my govee thermometer.
My son thought it might be wrong so I added another. They match.

Do the chicks look cold? I mean, does that look like a cold huddle?

If the poults are laying on the sensor, it will give their body temperature reading rather than the actual temperature of the brooder..

 

[R2elk]

Am I failing at turkeys? I have raised chickens for decades. I did my research. I prepped the brooder. I tested the ceramic heat source to a temp of 95 degrees. I gave the poults room temp electrolyte water. I used a high contrast surface to introduce food. I gave them 30% protein crumbles. I gave them a baby chick to remind them to eat and drink.

But they are all huddled up as if they are cold. I have a govee wifi hygrometer that texts me the temp. It says 101 to 104! But they are still huddled up. Whats going on?
Are they cold?
Nobody is panting….
Are they scared and huddled?
Will they overheat?

Thanks in advance

You need a bigger brooder. They need room to come and go from the heated and non heated areas.

They do not need the heated area to be 95°F. I start mine at 90°F measured at the bedding level. I recommend using a thermometer that has a wired probe. It will not be as attractive to them to lay on as the unit you are using.

Your poults do not look cold and are not "huddling", they really don't have the room to get away from each other. Because the poults are laying on the sensor, you do not know what the brooder temperature is.

 

[Molpet]

I think this brooder will easily fit 5 poults. Not sure about keeping both heating plates. If turkeys are what everyone says they are, they might get lost.

I had 2 poults and 6 chicks in a 2x4ft horse tank. Lasted about 3 wks. They started flying out at 2

 

[Molpet]

where is the temperature probe located?

I see a white box under poults, could be getting warm from them and sending false reading of brooder.

 

[Molpet]

The white box is my govee thermometer.
My son thought it might be wrong so I added another. They match.

Do the chicks look cold? I mean, does that look like a cold huddle?

they peep loudly when cold, if they aren't yelling they could be just taking comfort from each other

 

[Tonyroo]

Brooder is to small for that many chicks plus the poop accumulated would make them sick from the fumes. But they don't look cold they have no where to go.

 

[ChickyMudder]

Thanks for all your advice on the turkeys. These are happy, healthy poults. They didn’t need chicks to teach them to eat! They are doing it on their own. So they will be kept separate from the chicks.

Temperature is sorted out - for now. But, I dont like the ceramic lamp. It seems to run well and then get hotter than expected. Anyone else have this experience? I usually keep it in the first week or two for chicks to get the hang of the heat plate. Seems like the turkeys need more heat then the chicks do. Just my observation on day 1 of being a Turkey mother.
Nobody told me how sweet the connection with a turkey is. I mean seriously this one little girl seeks me out for snuggles. They cry for me until I gather them for bed like a hen does.
They just look lovingly on me and dont scream when picked up. Im sooo in love with these creatures.

 

[R2elk]

I had 2 poults and 6 chicks in a 2x4ft horse tank. Lasted about 3 wks. They started flying out at 2

Mine are flying out of my 4'x4' brooder at 2 weeks old. At that time I move them to my grow out pen.