Help! Turkeys dying! Please help!

[BlueMoon]

We ordered 24 poults from McMurrays last month - 22 Broad breasted Bronze and two Bourbon Reds. I've been trying to raise Buffs, so we added about 3/4 of them slowly to the broody turkey hens with great luck. Of the ones we put in, three simply disappeared, one was squished and everyone else was fine for about two weeks.

Since then, we've been losing a few a week until this week - two of my older buff adolescents, one of the Bourbon Red poults and we're down to ten Broad breasted Bronze, including one that appears to have an eye tumor and I doubt will make it (He was one we only introduced recently, as we kept him under a heat lamp, trying to sort out why one eye was enormous and developed what appears to be a cataract).

They're on 22% grower, we're in a heatwave, so it's 95-100 only dipping into the 70's at night. They were on water with electrolytes for a few days and now on SpecLinx-50 (because that's what the store had that I could give to chicks so I figured it was a safe choice for poults).

There are so few signs of distress - lowered wings, huddling even though it is so hot and then bam, they're just dead.

We've lost three today, two yesterday and at this rate, none will be left soon. I'm so sad and feel so badly for them.

 

[thaiturkey]

I don't know what to say except get the newly purchased birds away from the others until you have a solution.

 

[BlueMoon]

Thanks, but since no specific group is being spared and since they've been together for a month, I think it's something they all have. Separating won't make much of a difference.

 

[turkaholic]

I wasn't sure what your problem could be until I thought about it. If I understand, you are introducing these McMurry poults to a hen that already has poults? If so, that may be your problem. Artifically hatched poults will not associate the hen turkey as their mother, since they never had the time to imprint on her. Imprinting occurs within the first few hours of hatch, if you miss that window of opportunity, the first living thing the poults see will be "Mom"! Most likely it is you! It could be they are not being brooded properly by the hen, if at all, and they may be getting chills, especially at 70 degree nights. I wouldn't leave the remaining poults with her and get them back under artificial heat. Also, get some starter with a higher protein, somewhere around 26-28 %.

 

[BlueMoon]

I had other poults, from the hens stock, but the eggs she was sitting on were duds. She immediately took to the McMurray poults, as did the older poults. It was quite sweet how the older ones would shield the younger ones.
They are not malnourished, but I'll try to the higher protein feed anyhow. Thanks