Brooding poults with chicks

[rwilliams296]

The one time I tried turkey poults, YES they needed someone to show them how to eat, and how to drink, EVERY SINGLE TIME they had to eat and drink for at least the first week, maybe two.

Finally they grew a brain, and were able to eat and drink without help... but it was crazy.

I was told that often people will put a cornish x with the turkey poults since cornish x eat often, and so will help keep the turkey poults eating well.

In your case... maybe just 2 poults in a horde of chicks was overwhelming for them?

Don't know... never tried that.

Wish I had a horde of chicks, only 4.

 

[Fishkeeper]

I didn't say you're mistreating them, I said turkey chicks shouldn't be fed food that's meant for chicken chicks. You didn't mention what they were eating, so, in case you didn't know what not to feed the poult, I thought it might be a good plan to let you know.

 

[rwilliams296]

Fishkeeper, I'm not trying to be rude or sound defensive, but you shouldn't just automatically assume the worst or accuse people of ill-"treating" their pets, so to speak. I never once mentioned just WHAT it is my poult is being fed. He's being fed a gamebird starter, but the chick food is also mixed in. I'm currently discussing it with the turkey experts on a thread I made, because I didn't realize chick food was 'bad' for turkeys...my horse riding instructor mentioned it to me, so then I decided to see if she was right, or if it was safe to mix it together.
I now know that turkeys need LOTS of HIGH protein, and that I should just feed my poult and chicks the gamebird starter for now.
Thanks for telling me, though.

Poults are eating 28% protein feed. Thanks

 

[rwilliams296]

@Better Than Rubies , you need to make sure he's getting a different food. Poults CANNOT be fed chick feed long-term, the lack of protein will slowly kill them.

When I placed the poults in the chick brooder I also replaced the food with 28% chick/game bird starter from Tractor Supply. So poults and chicks have been sharing the same food, until I separated them again.

 

[rwilliams296]

I didn't say you're mistreating them, I said turkey chicks shouldn't be fed food that's meant for chicken chicks. You didn't mention what they were eating, so, in case you didn't know what not to feed the poult, I thought it might be a good plan to let you know.

Thanks! I am feeding them 28% chick/game bird feed from Tractor supply. They have been sharing it with their former room-mates, my 4 chicks who are so rowdy and feathered right now ( 3 weeks old this Sunday ). Time to get their outside coop ready!

 

[rwilliams296]

Hello.

I'm so sorry to hear one died. Turkey poults are very fragile/delicate, and it can be hard to get them through (alive) their first week, from what I've read. After the hardest part is over, the path ahead to raising them seems to get a little easier, I feel like.
I have a lone poult with three chicks right now, and they're all doing good. I'll be honest, when I first brought my poult home, I wondered if he wasn't going to make it. But turns out, he was just exhausted and needed to rest. Now's he's pretty active and likes to fly a bit, too. He ate decently from the start, but I rarely saw him drink water at first. He drinks plenty of it now, and seems to be doing very good.

Thank you for your advice!