We bought two little poults, both three weeks old, from a local poultry farmer. He had the turkey chicks in a brooder with some other game bird chicks, all had been hatched from eggs in an incubator. His operation was pretty big in my view, not in size so much as the variety of poultry he hatches, and the number of chicks he sells per month. We chose two red Bourbons who looked healthy and alert. Once we got them home, we put them in the brooder I had set up and waiting for them. It wasn't fancy, just a plastic bin about a foot and a half wide and two and a half feet long, and is by far not large enough for them to spend any length of time in beyond just getting settled. The decision to get turkeys was kind of last minute. I had almost decided not to get them, and then I saw this breeders ad in the local classifieds, and just went on a bit of a whim.
So, once I had them settled in, with pine shavings, a quart waterer nice and full with room temp water, and a feeder with chicken starter feed in it, and a heat lamp at a comfortable distance above them, I watched to see how they explored their new digs. Well, they didn't. They found a corner, and huddled in it. I tried everything I could think of to make them comfortable. Checked the temp, moved the heat lamp to determine if they were too cold, and then after that didn't change anything, I tried raising it to see if they were too hot, still no change. I had dipped their beaks in the water and showed them the feed, but, they were not the least bit interested. So, deciding that they just needed time to adjust a bit, I left them alone. They were in the garage, near the chick brooder where our four little month old chickens live, and I know they could hear them, so, I was hoping maybe that sound would be comforting at some level.
After a couple of hours I checked on them again, and they hadn't moved an inch. So, I took their food over to them, and they weren't interested. I dipped their beaks in the water again, and still, nothing. This went on the rest of the night, so by around midnight I made a mush out of oatmeal and cornmeal as someone had suggested and they would only eat that off my finger. I would just put a glob on the end of my finger and put it up toward them, and they ate it like they were starving, but, after a couple of bites they turned away and wouldn't take any more. I again dipped their beaks in the water, and they took just that swallow and no more. I decided to leave them be til morning, and leave the mush in there in case they wanted it. By morning they still hadn't eaten, and were in the same spot where I had left them the night before. I made a fresh batch of the mush, and again they ate it ravenously but only off my finger. A few hours later I made a more watery batch and this time I just put the jar lid I had mixed it in up to them instead of using my finger. they finally took a few bites, and seemed to like the liquid the was on the edges. The next batch I made was even more watery, and they ate it again from the lid. After a few bites, again, they were done.
By day three I was determined to get them eating without being hand fed, soI left the mush in their brooder, a little bit away from them hoping to entice them to move about a bit. We left for a few hours, and when we came back the mush had all been eaten. Finally, success. I had taken the lid off their brooder, and was freshening their bedding a bit, and suddenly one of them hopped up onto the side like a pro.
Later in the day, after repeating the mush routine a time or two, and getting them to dip their beaks in the water each feeding time, I decided to take them outside. The temps were easily the same as in the brooder, so, I had hoped the fresh air and sunshine would invigorate them. It sort of worked. They weren't really bothered by being outside. At one point the bigger of the two decided to fly up onto my sons lap. That was funny and surprising, and somewhat encouraging. I didn't keep them out too long, and when I put them back in the brooder they wanted to eat a bit, and then went to sleep. The next feeding time I included some chick starter in the mush and they were less than impressed but still ate a bit.
I had to work all day the fourth day, and my husband and kids did the whole mush making thing, with limited success, but, still not much visible evidence that they were drinking enough water other than they were pooping pretty regularly and it wasn't firm. I stopped and picked up some game bird starter just in case the turkeys would respond better to that. When I got home that evening I took them out of the brooder and put them in a laundry basket and took them outside to the makeshift run I had created for my four other chicks. We have 8 chickens that are 11 weeks old, that live in the coop and free range much of the day, and then 4 more chickens that are 4 weeks old that spend some time in a garden patch that I fenced with chicken wire to keep the bigger chickens out so the littles can free range in the 8 x 15 peas and onions garden. I had given up on that crop after the biggens had spent some time scratching it up, so, I just use it as a playyard for the littles now, and whatever I harvest out of it is fine.
I put the basket in the playyard so the littles could meet the baby turkeys. They were marginally interested, and then just went on their merry way. The baby turkeys were clearly wanting to get out and explore, so, I let them, while I stood beside them to protect them from anything the chicks might decide to do. There was just a little concern for a second, but, it all went pretty well, and eventually I just stood outside and watched as they all played and explored. The baby turkeys stayed pretty much away from the chicks and vice versa, but they had so much fun and foraged so much, I was relieved to see them moving about and being normal. Then, when I took them back to the brooder, I tried another tip that I used with my chickens, for entertainment, but was suggested for lonely turkey chicks. I put a mirror in the brooder and set it behind the feed and waterers, and low and behold, they both looked at their reflections and immediately started eating the game bird feed and,, tah dah, drinking from the waterer on their own. And today, the fifth day, they are eating and drinking, and peeping, and happy.
I know this has been long, but, I also know you all understand the struggles we go through with these little sweeties, and how this kind of success needs to be shared, cause you know someone else is going to have it happen to them. Thanks for listening.
Teri A
So, once I had them settled in, with pine shavings, a quart waterer nice and full with room temp water, and a feeder with chicken starter feed in it, and a heat lamp at a comfortable distance above them, I watched to see how they explored their new digs. Well, they didn't. They found a corner, and huddled in it. I tried everything I could think of to make them comfortable. Checked the temp, moved the heat lamp to determine if they were too cold, and then after that didn't change anything, I tried raising it to see if they were too hot, still no change. I had dipped their beaks in the water and showed them the feed, but, they were not the least bit interested. So, deciding that they just needed time to adjust a bit, I left them alone. They were in the garage, near the chick brooder where our four little month old chickens live, and I know they could hear them, so, I was hoping maybe that sound would be comforting at some level.
After a couple of hours I checked on them again, and they hadn't moved an inch. So, I took their food over to them, and they weren't interested. I dipped their beaks in the water again, and still, nothing. This went on the rest of the night, so by around midnight I made a mush out of oatmeal and cornmeal as someone had suggested and they would only eat that off my finger. I would just put a glob on the end of my finger and put it up toward them, and they ate it like they were starving, but, after a couple of bites they turned away and wouldn't take any more. I again dipped their beaks in the water, and they took just that swallow and no more. I decided to leave them be til morning, and leave the mush in there in case they wanted it. By morning they still hadn't eaten, and were in the same spot where I had left them the night before. I made a fresh batch of the mush, and again they ate it ravenously but only off my finger. A few hours later I made a more watery batch and this time I just put the jar lid I had mixed it in up to them instead of using my finger. they finally took a few bites, and seemed to like the liquid the was on the edges. The next batch I made was even more watery, and they ate it again from the lid. After a few bites, again, they were done.
By day three I was determined to get them eating without being hand fed, soI left the mush in their brooder, a little bit away from them hoping to entice them to move about a bit. We left for a few hours, and when we came back the mush had all been eaten. Finally, success. I had taken the lid off their brooder, and was freshening their bedding a bit, and suddenly one of them hopped up onto the side like a pro.
Later in the day, after repeating the mush routine a time or two, and getting them to dip their beaks in the water each feeding time, I decided to take them outside. The temps were easily the same as in the brooder, so, I had hoped the fresh air and sunshine would invigorate them. It sort of worked. They weren't really bothered by being outside. At one point the bigger of the two decided to fly up onto my sons lap. That was funny and surprising, and somewhat encouraging. I didn't keep them out too long, and when I put them back in the brooder they wanted to eat a bit, and then went to sleep. The next feeding time I included some chick starter in the mush and they were less than impressed but still ate a bit.
I had to work all day the fourth day, and my husband and kids did the whole mush making thing, with limited success, but, still not much visible evidence that they were drinking enough water other than they were pooping pretty regularly and it wasn't firm. I stopped and picked up some game bird starter just in case the turkeys would respond better to that. When I got home that evening I took them out of the brooder and put them in a laundry basket and took them outside to the makeshift run I had created for my four other chicks. We have 8 chickens that are 11 weeks old, that live in the coop and free range much of the day, and then 4 more chickens that are 4 weeks old that spend some time in a garden patch that I fenced with chicken wire to keep the bigger chickens out so the littles can free range in the 8 x 15 peas and onions garden. I had given up on that crop after the biggens had spent some time scratching it up, so, I just use it as a playyard for the littles now, and whatever I harvest out of it is fine.
I put the basket in the playyard so the littles could meet the baby turkeys. They were marginally interested, and then just went on their merry way. The baby turkeys were clearly wanting to get out and explore, so, I let them, while I stood beside them to protect them from anything the chicks might decide to do. There was just a little concern for a second, but, it all went pretty well, and eventually I just stood outside and watched as they all played and explored. The baby turkeys stayed pretty much away from the chicks and vice versa, but they had so much fun and foraged so much, I was relieved to see them moving about and being normal. Then, when I took them back to the brooder, I tried another tip that I used with my chickens, for entertainment, but was suggested for lonely turkey chicks. I put a mirror in the brooder and set it behind the feed and waterers, and low and behold, they both looked at their reflections and immediately started eating the game bird feed and,, tah dah, drinking from the waterer on their own. And today, the fifth day, they are eating and drinking, and peeping, and happy.
I know this has been long, but, I also know you all understand the struggles we go through with these little sweeties, and how this kind of success needs to be shared, cause you know someone else is going to have it happen to them. Thanks for listening.
Teri A
