Hatched new blue slate

[laura29532]

HELP....my blue slate eggs started hatching..the first this morning at 8:15 am..
Took over 14hrs to break out, from the time I noticed his little crack..
He's 7 hrs old and can't hold his head up for too long..he keeps creeping around with his legs, and just a minute ago gave me a scare, he borrowed himself under the pine shavings, just his little butt sticking up..I thought they'd be like my chicks, kinda wobbly but getting around pretty good..he acts like his head is just to heavy..is this normal.?
He creeps his way from one side the box to the other..the temp is 98-99 ° under the light which he doesn't care to stay..am I worrying for nothing.? I got him to drink a little..this is my first turkey hatch, I thought it'd be like the chicks..I did everything I read about temp, humidity..he hatched right on time (just took a lot longer than I thought lol) is it normal.? How long before he's up and going.? I have three more just starting to hatch..

 

[PD-Riverman]

HELP....my blue slate eggs started hatching..the first this morning at 8:15 am..
Took over 14hrs to break out, from the time I noticed his little crack..
He's 7 hrs old and can't hold his head up for too long..he keeps creeping around with his legs, and just a minute ago gave me a scare, he borrowed himself under the pine shavings, just his little butt sticking up..I thought they'd be like my chicks, kinda wobbly but getting around pretty good..he acts like his head is just to heavy..is this normal.?
He creeps his way from one side the box to the other..the temp is 98-99 ° under the light which he doesn't care to stay..am I worrying for nothing.? I got him to drink a little..this is my first turkey hatch, I thought it'd be like the chicks..I did everything I read about temp, humidity..he hatched right on time (just took a lot longer than I thought lol) is it normal.? How long before he's up and going.? I have three more just starting to hatch..

He probably has some kind of problem but might straighten out in a day or two. Most just hatched chicks do just act normal---steady on their feet in a little while after drying off. I have had some like you described and most do grow out of it quick. But as always when hatching chicks-----expect to loose some along and along. Good Luck

 

[R2elk]

HELP....my blue slate eggs started hatching..the first this morning at 8:15 am..
Took over 14hrs to break out, from the time I noticed his little crack..
He's 7 hrs old and can't hold his head up for too long..he keeps creeping around with his legs, and just a minute ago gave me a scare, he borrowed himself under the pine shavings, just his little butt sticking up..I thought they'd be like my chicks, kinda wobbly but getting around pretty good..he acts like his head is just to heavy..is this normal.?
He creeps his way from one side the box to the other..the temp is 98-99 ° under the light which he doesn't care to stay..am I worrying for nothing.? I got him to drink a little..this is my first turkey hatch, I thought it'd be like the chicks..I did everything I read about temp, humidity..he hatched right on time (just took a lot longer than I thought lol) is it normal.? How long before he's up and going.? I have three more just starting to hatch..

You should not have newly hatched poults on pine shavings. They will attempt to eat them, become blocked up internally and die because they cannot digest them without grit in their system.

The temperature needs to be measured at the bedding level and should be no hotter than 90° - 95°F. If you are measuring air temperature, it is far too hot. Only one area in the brooder should be that hot with plenty of room for the poult to get away from the heat if it wants to.

I have seen poults act like you are describing and it was because they were too hot.

 

[laura29532]

I have a big box, light is on one end.three thermometers, one in each corner opposite the bulb,all in the bottom of brooder..all read the same temp, about 94-95°…I have large pine shavings.he's staying about 18" away from the light.the light is above the top of the box, it's been heating the past two days and keeping stable temps. I don't think he's too hot, he was like this before I put him in when he was dry off..it seems his head is too heavy to hold up for any amount of time..I do add a little sprinkle of fine grit just like chicks on day four after hatch..I'm at a loss, I opened one end thinking maybe you were right about being too hot,and watched the temp. It's 89-90° right now, he got closer to the light, still about 8-10" away though. He's doing better, moving around a lot more,just having trouble keeping his head up for more than a minute or so now..I gave him fresh water with vitamin and electrolytes added..he drinks a little, goes back to sleeping..I'm hoping when the others hatch he'll be stronger and get up around better then..

 

[PD-Riverman]

You should not have newly hatched poults on pine shavings. They will attempt to eat them, become blocked up internally and die because they cannot digest them without grit in their system.

I have "heard" this, but I personally have probably brooded 1,000 to 2,000 on pine shavings in a little over a year and have never had a problem. I think some people have problems and blame it on the shavings. Many people use them.

 

[R2elk]

I have "heard" this, but I personally have probably brooded 1,000 to 2,000 on pine shavings in a little over a year and have never had a problem. I think some people have problems and blame it on the shavings. Many people use them.

I never use pine shavings and would never recommend that anyone use them for poults or keets that are under 2 weeks old. I only use sand for bedding which provides the additional benefit of being a very fine grit.

 

[laura29532]

I have always used pine shavings and had no problems. big for new hatched (so they don't eat them, smaller flakes for big chicks.
never had a problem. nothing else seems to keep them as clean, easy to clean..I use hay, but with babies the chaff is too dusty for babies..thanks for the insight..

 

[laura29532]

Great news today...after speaking with the vet this morning, he said to take a very small eye dropper, and see if I could get him to drink some vitamin & electrolites solution. or water with sugar.
Thank god it worked..within a few hours he was moving around, more lively and looking 100% better. after the second dose he started walking around holding his head up for brief times.
tonight I called him and told him that the baby was doing so much better, he said if you have baby chicks
,put a couple in with him and they'll teach him where the water and food is..
I know..not recommended chicks and turkeys together but its an urgent need right now...
baby is running around with my 2 day old Egyptian fayomoui chicks, peeping, drinking away with them..hasn't eaten yet but that's tommorrows worry...today I'm taking this blessing, hes alive, drinking and holding in there..
miracles do happen..

 

[R2elk]

Great news today...after speaking with the vet this morning, he said to take a very small eye dropper, and see if I could get him to drink some vitamin & electrolites solution. or water with sugar.
Thank god it worked..within a few hours he was moving around, more lively and looking 100% better. after the second dose he started walking around holding his head up for brief times.
tonight I called him and told him that the baby was doing so much better, he said if you have baby chicks
,put a couple in with him and they'll teach him where the water and food is..
I know..not recommended chicks and turkeys together but its an urgent need right now...
baby is running around with my 2 day old Egyptian fayomoui chicks, peeping, drinking away with them..hasn't eaten yet but that's tomorrow's worry...today I'm taking this blessing, he's alive, drinking and holding in there..
miracles do happen..

There is nothing wrong with putting chicks and turkeys together in the same brooder. I often brood chicks, keets and poults together.

Housing turkeys with chickens or even on the same ground that chickens have been raised on can be a problem if blackhead is present in your area. If blackhead is not present then the only problems housing chickens and turkeys together can be a social one where the turkeys being so much bigger than the chickens can cause the chickens severe harm.

Another benefit to using sand as bedding in the brooder is getting little ones started eating. I simply sprinkle turkey starter on the sand. It is natural for the poults to peck at things on the ground and they get a little food and a little grit at the same time. Usually within a day they are eating out of the feeder but I keep some feed sprinkled on the sand just in case.