Sprinkles is in the house tonight and not doing well. He's very wobbly and weak. I thought he was doing ok out there in the seperation pen, just waiting to get big enough to integrate, but apparently, he's been on a hunger strikeI guess the other turkeys were reaching through the fencing when they could to steal some of his food, making it look like he was eating what I was giving him. When I brought him in, all he wanted to do was snuggle. He's like a magnet now! It was hard work to pry him away from me for 2 seconds to feed him! I cooked up a turkey egg, blended it with water, a few drops of tri-vi-sol, and 2 drops of mallasses and forced it down his throat with an eye dropper. I have him in the bathtub now with a couple chicks for company. They barely reach his knees but he needs someone, other than me, for the night to be with. I hope I can nurse him back to health. He's such a sweetie but a big baby too. Looks like he'll be back in the brooder stomping around again for a while. Too big for a brooder but too small for the coop. What am I going to do with him!
He'll make it! You identified the problem and are remedying (sp?) it quickly. Keep us posted!
7 chicks in the incubator this morning now. 14 eggs had made it lockdown. The one that was having trouble last night had made no more progress, so I helped to zip around the shell this morning, but left the membrane intact. I have to leave for work in an hour and a half, so it's up to him at that point. Membrane brand looks good, not dry. Humidity is at about 69-70%. We shall see...
Also, my broody girls are doing well with their hatch, they have at least 9 or 10 I think. Always hard to tell! Helga my Bielefelder is sitting on a nest with fake eggs, she must have lost her place yesterday. So tonight I will slide some of the incubator chicks under her butt. I'm sure she won't mind!
