Can Turkey Poults Get Depressed

[azhenhouse]

I brought home four turkeys last night and one is not doing well. It is a week older than the other three, and was doing well at the breeders home before the four hour journey to their new home.. I think that she got chilled on the drive home, and it probably wasn't warm enough for them last night. Even with a heet lamp. They are from Tuscon where it is quite warm, and there new home is in the mountains where it is much cooler. She was also with a different group of poults before I got her and put her in with the other three. She is two weeks old and the others are a week old. She won't eat, drink or move around. Now, one eye is closing and in my experience that means death.

Once she warms up will she be ok? Is she depressed because her buddies aren't here? What could be wrong?

 

[frank53061]

There is a good possibility that in fact the bird is depressed because they are flock birds and are very social.
But that maybe only a small part of the problem if in fact the Poult is sick then you would not want it around the healthy ones.
I would keep them around 80 to 90 degrees or an area that is that temp and allow them to move away if it is to warm and draft free.
I am not one to give drugs to my fowl I go the holistic method there are people that know what antibiotics that would help I do not.
You might try dipping the Poults beak several times a day in room temp water to try to make it take in some water.

If the Poult is 3 weeks of age you might put 2 to 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a cup of water and try to get it to drink I do this to maintain the birds health it maybe to late to try the vinegar tho its up to you.

it may sound over the top but I have wrapped a sick chick in a towel and layed it on top of me while I was watching TV and from time to time try to get the bird to drink this has worked half of the time

Good luck I hope the Poult pulls threw.

 

[ivan3]

Barely sweetened water (Pedialyte would be good) mixed into a slurry with crushed meal worms (a dewinged moth squashed into paste and stirred in with the water will do), `eyedropper' into beak along one side or the other (make sure it is swallowing) .It is under heat lamp/no drafts?

You're right, these little guys fade very fast.

Good luck!