All but one of my turkey poults died mysteriously!!!!!

[whitehorse8]

I have 10 turkey poults from Ideal as well, so I'm hoping they all do fine. I've had them for less than 2 weeks and they seem okay so far. I am feeding a 28% medicated turkey starter, and they are still inside under heat lamps because our weather has been so unpredictable.

 

[kuntrygirl]

It's so hard raising poults sometimes. Good luck to everyone who has poults.

 

[caw6142]

ok, my poults are 5 wks old and have been housed with the chicks. I was told they all can eat the chick starter. Do I need to change the food? Can the chicks eat the higher protein food? DO I just need to feed them seperately?
So sorry for your loss

 

[whitehorse8]

My poults are in with my chicks as well - and the chicks have been doing just fine on the 28% turkey starter. (I did ask to make sure it was okay before I put them together.) You definitely want the higher protein for your poults!

 

[ButchGood]

I'm feeding my poults 28% turkey starter. I got a bunch of RIR roos with the turkeys and they are eating it as well. They are growing big fast. The Turkeys and the chicks. I put mine outdoors at 2 weeks old. Today at 3 weeks old I let them all loose with my 9 week old chickens. They seem to be getting along just fine so far.

 

[Momma K]

I lost 6 poults in a week, someone here gave me some good advice and I am passing it on.
Keep the turkeys and chicks separate for 2 weeks. During this time feed the chicks medicated starter. Chickens carry diseases that turkeys will contract easily(such as blackhead disease). In the turkeys water mix molasses and apple cider vinegar. Give this for 3 weeks. Feed as you normally would.
Since I've been doing this, I have not lost a poult!!! I have 2 that are 10 weeks and 4 that are 6 weeks

 

[caw6142]

My poults are in with my chicks as well - and the chicks have been doing just fine on the 28% turkey starter. (I did ask to make sure it was okay before I put them together.) You definitely want the higher protein for your poults!

ok...so they're eating 28% until 10 wks, where i'll then drop them to a 24% for2 wks, 18% 2 wks then laying mash (16%) @ 4 months...does that sound like a good plan? Also, how long have your turks been w/ the chicks? Have you raised them this way before? If so, how long can the turks stay with them? Sorry for so many questions, it just seems like everyone I talk with @ the feed stores all have a different idea on what should and shouldn't be done and how to go or not go about it..lol. I figured the best thing to do is ask someone who has actually done it, right?

 

[Oregon Blues]

If you've had them for 3 months, whatever it is is not the hatchery's fault.

They sound to me like they have been poisoned. Did you just open a new bag of feed? Have they had access to fertilizer, insecticide, rodenticide, fly granules, moldy feed (or moldy anything)?

I always feed medicated feed to hatchlings that have been shipped from a hatchery. Shipping is stressful and lowers their resistance. Also, they have no mother taking care of them to share her immunity.

At 3 months, though, I wouldn't still be feeding medicated feed. Depending upon what their stools looked like I might still be putting a spoonful of yogurt into their waterer once a day. Also, if they are not on feed made for ducks or gamebirds, I would be adding niacin to the water until they were outside and foraging. Chicken feed doesn't contain enough niacin for anything but chickens.

 

[rikithemonk]

Are you using a red heat light with a shatter resistant coating? The coating gives off a poisonous gas and if your chicks are in a tub, the tub fills with the fumes because the gas is heavier than air.

Just a thought


Riki

 

[FoulFowl]

They only way you can really tell if they are skinny is to feel their breastbone.
First you have to know how a normal breastbone feels. It needs to be meaty and muscled.
Feathers make the birds seem robust but if the breastbone is sharp and the muscles on each side are sparse then the bird is losing muscle mass and is really sick and needs to be beefed up or treated for illness.
The most common (deadly) disease of young turkeys (and peafowl) is blackhead (histomoniasis). They get it from droppings but it is also spread by earthworms and it can live in the soil for years.

We have had chickens for years and they spread it..since it really doesn't affect them. We tried turkeys once but they all got it so no more turkeys.

We still do peacocks but we follow the old rule of thumb...keep them off the ground until they are two months old.