Chicks and Turkeys together

[partygaarden]

I'm very new to raising Turkeys, and have been reading about their needs including how challenging it can be to keep them healthy in early days.

I've read that they can be little bimbos that forget to eat/drink so keeping them with chicks that model proper behavior can help.

I've also learned that they need a ~30% protein turkey/gamebird starter.

And finally that feeding them medicated feed is ideal as an added layer of protection.

So, my question is... Is it OK to cut the ~30% turkey starter with a medicated chick starter and just feed that to the chicks and the turkeys?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Feed them all the turkey starter, than remove the chicks in a week or so. You don't want the poults to imprint on them as you can have problems at sexual maturity.

I personally don't use medicated chick starter. I don't have problems with coccidiosis here.

 

[R2elk]

I'm very new to raising Turkeys, and have been reading about their needs including how challenging it can be to keep them healthy in early days.

I've read that they can be little bimbos that forget to eat/drink so keeping them with chicks that model proper behavior can help.

I've also learned that they need a ~30% protein turkey/gamebird starter.

And finally that feeding them medicated feed is ideal as an added layer of protection.

So, my question is... Is it OK to cut the ~30% turkey starter with a medicated chick starter and just feed that to the chicks and the turkeys?

Do not brood poults and chicks together. The imprinting it causes will cause problems later.

Poults do need a high protein turkey or game bird starter. It has the higher amounts of lysine, methionine and niacin they need for proper development.

Unless you have a coccidiosis problem, do not feed poults medicated feed. The "medication" is amprolium which is a thiamine blocker and only effects coccidia. The poults need thiamine for proper development.

Never mix medicated feed with non medicated feed. The medicated feed has the proper amount of medication in it. When you mix medicated feed with non medicated feed you lower the medication below it's effective dose and risk developing medication resistant strains.

 

[R2elk]

I start poults by themselves without any problems. Poults have different instincts than chicks. It is instinctive for them to peck at things on the ground.

I live on a sand dune so sand is free for the digging. I use sand as the brooder bedding. I sprinkle the high protein game bird starter on the sand. The poults usually find it and start eating on their own within minutes of being put in the brooder. It may take them a couple of days to learn that the stuff in the feeder is food.

Once I see the poults eating from the feeder, I stop sprinkling the food on the sand.

Poults human imprint very easily. I keep my interactions with poults to a minimum.