Baby turkey poults dropping dead!

[Birdmaster8]

So recently I purchased 4 bourbon red turkeys. A couple days ago I found one dead and one dying. The next day another one croaked and just yesterday morning the last one died! I thought for sure the last one was going to make it because it seemed perky and active. So I'm wondering how they died? The brooder is about 2 feet by 6 feet. They had a heat lamp and enough to room to get out of the heat if they wanted to. Before they died they did seem a bit lethargic but they would still eat and drink. If it helps when I found them dead they where lying on there backs like they flipped over, and their legs where stiff. So I was wondering is it possible for them to just "die?".

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Starting turkeys can be tricky until you get the hang of it. They need a brooder temperature of about 100-105 degrees initially. You also have to spend time showing them how to eat and drink during the first week, I use my finger and peck at stuff for them. I also use shiny blue glass rocks to draw their attention. They are not like chicks who will just eat, they need to be taught and kept warmer and they can be quite clumsy. Also keep them off shavings for the first week or two or they will eat them. It sounds like you poults weren't eating or drinking, I also add brown sugar to their water the first week to keep their blood sugars up.

 

[Birdmaster8]

Starting turkeys can be tricky until you get the hang of it. They need a brooder temperature of about 100-105 degrees initially. You also have to spend time showing them how to eat and drink during the first week, I use my finger and peck at stuff for them. I also use shiny blue glass rocks to draw their attention. They are not like chicks who will just eat, they need to be taught and kept warmer and they can be quite clumsy. Also keep them off shavings for the first week or two or they will eat them. It sounds like you poults weren't eating or drinking, I also add brown sugar to their water the first week to keep their blood sugars up.

I forgot to add I was also doing sugar water (and I added shiny marbles to the water too :/). Also what do you suggest for bedding since I am getting an order of some BB turkeys soon? (Ps thanks for the advice )

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I put down paper towels on top of pine large flake shavings, I remove the paper towels at around 2 weeks, they still will eat some but it doesn't seem to bother them at that age. I will initially scatter the food on the paper towels with more shiny stones. A couple times a day I sit down next to the brooder and peck my finger to show them the food, I keep it up for the first week. After about the third week I can start to relax.

 

[btguy]

if you know of a newspaper printer in your area they use huge rolls of paper and will throw them away with dozens of yards of paper left. if you ask they may give you a roll and i love at for my bird cages and for my first weeks brooder. they do not handle water spills well enough once babies get active though.

 

[harmesonfarm]

i don't have personal experience with turkey pullets, but recently picked up chicks from a lady who also bred turkeys...
she kept the turkeys with the chicks because the chicks taught the turkeys how to eat and drink, she said that turkeys have a problem with drowning themselves because they don't know how to drink properly...so she would use her chicks to teach them and help them.

i thought it was pretty clever, but it seems as though the turkeys need higher temperatures than chicks do from what has been said earlier so not sure if that is good or not after all...