3 week old poults panting, not eating or drinking

[Tmferencik]

Hi everyone! I'm new here and this is my first time raising turkeys (which, so far, I've found to be much dumber than chickens). Earlier today I picked up two 3 week old broad breasted white poults from the feed store. They were eating, drinking, preening, and looked generally healthy and active. Since I've put them in the brooder, they will not eat or drink. I've shown them where the water is multiple times and the base of the waterer is shiny. I tried tempting them with fresh greens and fermented feed but to no avail. Just now I went to check on them and they are directly under their brooder light, huddled together, and panting. The light only shines on one back corner of the brooder, keeping it about 85 degrees, and I only just turned it on once it got dark and temperatures dropped outside. It's worth noting that it was in the high 80s today and they showed no sign of heat stress. Also that they no longer even had heat lamps at the feed store; the guy said they don't even bother once they are about 3 weeks old because they're mostly feathered out (I live in Tucson, AZ btw). So I guess my question is, are turkeys really that dumb? Would they really lay directly under the heat lamp, even if they were too hot? It's a good sized brooder so they have lots of room to get away from it. Could this, along with them not eating or drinking, point to sick poults? They seemed fine at the store and this place has a good reputation for poultry! I don't know what to do! Help!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

They are probably stressed from the move. Could be they are sitting under the light just because it is light. If they are used to no heat I wouldn't give them any. At 3 weeks I'm brooding at about 80-85 degrees.

Turkeys aren't exactly stupid. Turkeys learn more than other poultry species which work off of instinct more. Give them a day or so to settle in. Turkeys hate change.

 

[TurkeyTimes]

Yes they are stupid enough to stay under a light long enough to cook themselves. I've had this happen to poults a few days old when the lamp got accidentally bumped down.