Turkey chicks wont shut up

[Deleon98]

Mine were crying at night too. I found that covering it up with a towel helped them go to sleep. Maybe it helped them feel less exposed. Mine are in a wire dog crate though so that's easier to cover.

Have you checked the actual temperature? They could actually be hot or cold but quieting down when you come in so as not to alert a predator of their location.

Yea ive been checking the temp but that interesting. Also, how do you keep their bedding from falling out.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Yea ive been checking the temp but that interesting. Also, how do you keep their bedding from falling out.

I have a cardboard skirt around the bottom about 6" high. You need it that high at first because for about the first ten days they can fit through the wire.

 

[Deleon98]

I just put random pieces of wood on the inside but it still manages to make a mess.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Do you handle them a lot? They are very easy to tame. I take mine outside and sit with them for at least twenty minutes so they can get some exercise and forage. To do that, though, you want to make sure they are tame enough to not be flighty. I don't put them in a pen or anything when I take them out. At this age (mine are about the same age) they want to test their wings and be very active. Sitting in the brooder is boring and they get little to no activity, so part of it might be that they aren't even tired. I also let them fly and hop around the room for about ten minutes before bed. Its like taking a little kid to the park and they fall asleep right after. They are also starting to want to roost sometimes, so i you can figure out a way to give them a roost and any other toys and things, that might help.

How big is the brooder and how tall are the sides?

 

[Deleon98]

That might actually be it. The brooder is a 40 gal oval tub from Rural king they can already jump out of it and they like to roost on top of it. I'm going to start taking them outside for a little while to see how that goes.

 

[mjbws]

Get a sound machine!!! - The kind with options like "ocean waves, "calm," "rainforest," etc ...

Oh my goodness, my poult was all by herself, and was completely in a trance listening. I picked mine up from Target and you can set it for up to 8 hours. I also picked up a mirror from the dollar store and secured it to the side of her brooder, along with a few stuffed animals and a small doggie bed. Another thing that she loved was snuggling herself into a slipper. She really liked burrowing her head into it and it's the perfect size for young poults. Being held and pet was of course the #1 thing to stop the peeping! Good luck!!! Here's a picture of Ginger in her slipper

 

[DoodleTurkey]

When my turkey was really little, I tried a couple of "decoys", with varying success X3;;

http://petturkey.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-decoy-that-worked-better.html

^ You can read my story there - if nothing else, for a laugh... you're not alone in those sleepless nights X3

 

[mjbws]

Great blog, DoodleTurkey!!! Loved it! We also discovered that colorful parrot/bird toys from the pet store were a favorite, especially any with mirrors, bells, hanging worm-like parts ...

 

[Deleon98]

Good ideas I rlly appreciate it

 

[beccaWA]

You can also find (for free) on YouTube those soundtracks of ocean, rain, etc. Some of them last 6-8 hours. You just have to check the time. You could play it on a laptop that's set to not go into "sleep" mode (although the turkeys likely will) LOL