Help please at wits end

[Krtucknf]

We have baby turkeys that are about 3 weeks old now.. First we were dealing with them pecking each other's butts till bloody.. So we separated the sore butts and the aggressive ones. We got the antiseptic spray to put on the butts and some bounced back but we lost some and don't know why..
We are now loosing them for no reason. We wake up the next morning and one is dead in the pen..
We also have one that we found today with a bulge on its side chest area under the skin.. It is still alert and moving around.. We took it and put it in its own pen hoping it will get better..
Wanting to know what we can do to stop loosing them???
We started out with 17 and now we're down to 14..
We raised 17 chickens with out a problem one but don't understand why we are having a problem with the turkeys..
Help please!!!!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

What is the protein percentage of their feed?

Turkeys are harder to raise than chickens. They also need higher protein and more potent vitamins.
Pecking each other's butts at that age tells me they didn't have enough protein.

 

[nightowl223]

Silly question, perhaps, but might the bulge under the skin be his/her crop, full of food and water? Just my first thought, because sometimes they overeat (much like Cornish Cross do), and their crops end up looking like a big water balloon under their skin.

For pecking, some people have had luck with those little "glasses" you put on their beaks which prevents them from aiming good enough to actually hurt each other, but I've never tried them so I can't give you any review on them. Might they be a bit crowded? They like more room than chickens seem to care about needing (though chicks can also get aggressive when crowded). Especially if there's not enough room to either get to the heat lamp or away from the heat, they can get aggressive. You might add another waterer and feeder away from the first ones, too. I'd also change to a higher percentage of protein in the feed; if you can get what's called gamebird starter/grower or meatbird crumbles, which are between 20% and 22% protein, rather than the 18% that chick starter has, you'd benefit by switching to that, in my opinion. Sometimes a lack of protein will cause birds to go after others' feathers, especially new feathers that can offer them blood (for want of a better way to describe it), for the protein.

I've, so far, only hatched and raised one batch of turkeys, so I may not be the best advisor, but I hope those suggestions help you.


(edited for clarity)

 

[Krtucknf]

The protein is 20% we are feeding them Dumpr chick starter/grower..

 

[ChickenCanoe]

28% protein to 4 weeks, 26% to 8 weeks, 22% to 12 weeks, 18-20% to 16 weeks. Then you can start slacking way off. You can get by on less but you take the chance they will cannibalize.

http://www.nap.edu/read/2114/chapter/5#36


ETA

Secrets of Successful Turkey Raising - $1.99 on Kindle.
http://www.amazon.com/Margaret-Maha...d=1457558744&sr=1-11&keywords=raising+turkeys

 

[nightowl223]

28% protein to 4 weeks, 26% to 8 weeks, 22% to 12 weeks, 18-20% to 16 weeks. Then you can start slacking way off. You can get by on less but you take the chance they will cannibalize.

http://www.nap.edu/read/2114/chapter/5#36

Thank you for that! It will also help me next time I hatch turkeys.

I had been using 22% when mine were tiny, so I need to kick up the percentages even more. Since I don't have the 28% and 26% available around me, I will need to add perhaps ground up dry catfood or catfish food or something to raise the protein levels.