brooding chicks with poults

[daraae921]

I've read several places that the chicks will show the turkeys where the food and water is. Poults and chicks eat different food, though. Can anyone clarify this?

 

[KOTurkeyRanch]

No first hand experience but im sure it works. You dont need it though. My poults were fine.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

28% gamebird feed is good for both.

 

[daraae921]

My gamebird starter is 30% That seems like a lot of protein for chicks. Chickens don't get angel wing like ducks do, do they?

 

[KOTurkeyRanch]

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yes they can, had one get one last year

 

[daraae921]

So is 30% too high?

 

[KOTurkeyRanch]

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Not sure on that one, I fed mine 22% and he got it =[

 

[pdpatch]

It's not the protein that causes problems in Chicken Chicks and Turkey poults, It's the add minerals and vitamins. Wild game starter and Chick starter have different minerals and vitamins. But usually the chicks is left in with the turkeys for a week or so only, then moved in with other chicks. The minerals and vitamins are use to help the turkey or chicken convert the feed to the nutrients they need to grow correctly and they need different one and different amounts for good proper growth.

That said, you can keep them together longer, but if you have to many turkey chicks they will dominate the smaller chicken chicks. They also won't achieve the best growth over the long run. If you will be raising the turkey for the table.

Usually one or two heritage turkeys poults with chickens is do able for most people with a really small flock.

Tom

 

[daraae921]

Thank you all for responding!
We've decided that we probably are just going to keep them separate. I doesn't really seem necessary to have the chicks in there with them.
Just so I have the answer in case it comes up again- Let's say you do put a couple chicks in with the turkeys in the beginning, do they all get gamebird starter or do they all get chick starter?
Sorry, I'm a little slow. This will (obviously) be my first time with turkeys; I want to make sure I know what I'm doing.

 

[KOTurkeyRanch]

Quote:
Actually, an excess in protein commonly causes angel wing. Also, if the chicks/poults are "low" on vitamin D, vitamin E, and manganese, this can cause it. In a study with Canadian Geese, the gosslings fed over 20% of protein had on average more angel wing occurances with gosslings below 20% protein. More factors are genetics, and males tend to have it more over females. One way to "reduce" protein is add wheat to the feed.