Oops - Baby Chicks or Baby Turkey Poults ?

[RedDawg24]

I would not.. at 4 weeks old they're into the pecking order and have different heat requirements.. 3 weeks is usually the max recommendation.

The big difference in numbers may play to the advantage of the new chicks though.. slightly overwhelming (confusing) the 3 elders (might even be a little scared at first).. and spreading any pecking around rather than being over focused on a small number of individuals. And the older ones can move into or out of the heat as needed and sleep more at the edge.

So with my second paragraph.. I actually might. but.. there are dynamics that will have to be paid attention to and adjusted if needed. It can probably be done.

Turkey are much different than chickens.. much more "friendly" in your face curious, confidently (stupid).. easy to get attached, until they start ripping your fingers off when your not paying attention or ganging up on a chicken, dog, etc.. Gotta love em all! Surely your new chick experience will quickly refill your heart. I hope you end up with something still fun and your flock continues to thrive. Can't say I would "want" to make the exchange or consider it fair.. but being able to roll with it and having options IS fantastic.

Thank you, @EggSighted4Life.

The original (3) are fairly timid - perhaps because of the 3 weeks in with the turkey poults ? - so we decided to try...

The (13) new chicks have been in a large brooder with the (3) 4-week old chicks for about an hour now, and so far so good.
We are keeping a close eye on them.
They are staying apart from each other while they are laying down - and this does not seem to be heat related.

 

[RedDawg24]

I do not where to post the update ... The reality is we have (13) new chicks -- which we hope and pray are indeed chicks .. They are all getting along.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I do not where to post the update ... The reality is we have (13) new chicks -- which we hope and pray are indeed chicks .. They are all getting along.

This is as good of place as any.. did they say what breed, got new pics?

Super excited for you!

ETA: the timidness of the elder chicks is likely due to the sudden change.. they're smart enough to know these aren't the friends they're imprinted on. They'll quickly settle, and become ornery!

 

[RedDawg24]

Thank you for that information, @EggSighted4Life. The 4-week-olds are still timid this morning. The 1-week-olds are doing great. !
The store was in chaos - so none of the breeds were marked. There are yellow ones and speckled brown ones. In this photo they are with the older white chick.

 

[Chickenclaude]

Oh no ! We were afraid that this might be the case.
We are going to need bigger accommodations ... or a new home for them.

Oh! But what a nice surprise! Although, Idk I could eat my pets..

 

[Love Donkeys]

Looks like you are going to be a Turkey Momma!
When we had our farm in Upstate NY my husband hit a wild Turkey nest when he was bush-hogging. Three eggs were saved and we put them under our little bantam, Sadie. One hatched and grew into a beautiful bronze looking Tom Turkey. It was funny to see little Sadie sitting on the rail of the fence with Timothy the Turkey sitting on the ground with his head under her wing. He followed and protected his Momma, Sadie, for almost 7 years.

 

[CHICKENX2005]

That's a turkey. It looks just like the 4 turkeys we bought.

 

[R2elk]

Looks like you are going to be a Turkey Momma!
When we had our farm in Upstate NY my husband hit a wild Turkey nest when he was bush-hogging. Three eggs were saved and we put them under our little bantam, Sadie. One hatched and grew into a beautiful bronze looking Tom Turkey. It was funny to see little Sadie sitting on the rail of the fence with Timothy the Turkey sitting on the ground with his head under her wing. He followed and protected his Momma, Sadie, for almost 7 years.

You do know that it is illegal to take wild turkey eggs from their nest and incubate them and keep the poults that were hatched.

 

[Love Donkeys]

batwing You do know that it is illegal to take wild turkey eggs from their nest and incubate them and keep the poults that were hatched.

My husband was using a 150hp tractor with a 20ft batwing BushWhacker attached. Wild Turkey hens will wait until the last second before they abandon their nest in the brush. When he found the dead Turkey hen, crushed nest and eggs he brought the 3 undamaged eggs home and reported the incident to NY Wildlife Management. Timothy the Turkey was never confined, he would leave to join the wild flocks during breeding season but he would always came back to his bantam mother. We gave the poult a chance at life.

 

[CHICKENX2005]

My husband was using a 150hp tractor with a 20ft batwing BushWhacker attached. Wild Turkey hens will wait until the last second before they abandon their nest in the brush. When he found the dead Turkey hen, crushed nest and eggs he brought the 3 undamaged eggs home and reported the incident to NY Wildlife Management. Timothy the Turkey was never confined, he would leave to join the wild flocks during breeding season but he would always came back to his bantam mother. We gave the poult a chance at life.

What you did was great the people who made that law the you can't hatch wild turkey eggs obviously were very lacking in brains. Stealing the eggs from a turkey would be wrong but caring for a abandoned egg/poult is actually helping the turkey population even if that turkey is never reintroduced into the wild. Imagine if a animal was going extinct in the wild but a bunch of people had some in captivity. You could use those animals to breed more that could eventually be put back into the wild. But if none or few of those animals were kept alive in captivity if the wild population runs out they are all gone. Anyone with their own brain can figure that out. Sorry if this sounds mean but it's true I think that you should all be free to your own opinions though