HELP, BABIES DIE EVERY DAY!!!!

[birdsgalore]

I HAVE BABY TURKEYS I'M INCUBATING, HATCHING IS GOING GREAT, WHEN THEY HATCH I PUT THEM IN A PLASTIC TUB WITH A HEAT LAMP BUT MAKE SURE THEY CAN GET AWAY FROM THE HEAT IF NECESSARY, HAVE PAPER TOWELS ON FLOOR, HAVE WATER AND FOOD IN WITH THEM BUT GO IN EVERY COUPLE OF HOURS AND HAND FEED THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE EATING, PLUS USE EYE DROPPER TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE GETTING WATER, BOILED EGG YOLK AND SOMEONE SUGGESTED PUTTING A LITTLE HONEY IN WITH THE WATER TO BOOST THEM A LITTLE SO I DID THAT, THE FIRST FEW SOUNDED LIKE THEY WERE GURGLING AND SOMEONE SUGGESTED GETTING TYLAND BUT THE CO-OP ONLY HAD INJECTIONS SO I GOT THE VET RX AND PUT THAT ON THE ONES THAT SOUND GURGLY,WELL THEY LIVE 2 OR THREE DAYS AND I FIND THEM DEAD,WHAT CAN I DO,FIVE DEAD AS OF THIS MORNING,OUT OF 8

 

[MissPrissy]

That is the problem with raising baby turkeys. They do die easily. If they are gurgling so soon after hatch I can't imagine they have a sickness or disease this early. Are you sure if you are giving them water with an eye dropper that the water is going into the back of the throat and not into the airways?

Turkeys are rather dumb and will drown in the rain. They will also drown in their drinking water. They are fragile things at this stage.

When they hatch they do not require water for up to 72 hours ( 2 - 3 days) due to the absorbtion of the yolk. Maybe you are feeding and watering them too soon.

 

[wegotchickens]

How soon after hatching are you giving them food & water?
They don't need it for around 24 hours after... If they're like chicks.
Are you leaving them in the bator until they dry off?

 

[newnanchic]

I was told by a man that raises turkeys that you need baby chickens in with the baby turkeys to "teach" them how to eat because they are so dumb they don't know how to eat and drink when they are born without somone there to show them????

 

[birdsgalore]

THANKS FOR ALL THE REPLYS, I LEAVE THEM IN THE INCUBATOR TIL THEY ARE COMPLETELY DRY, I'VE BEEN STARTING FEEDING THEM WITH THE EYE DROPPER A FEW HOURS AFTER THEY ARE BORN, I HAVE TO SIT THEM DOWN AND PRY THEIR MOUTH OPEN TO GET THE WATER IN THEM,WONDER IF THATS WHAT I'M DOING,GETTING IT INTO THE AIRWAY, HOW WOULD I KNOW FOR SURE? I'VE GOT PHEASANTS THAT ARE HATCHING, ONE JUST BORN YESTERDAY AND HE'S WITH A NEWBORN TURKEY, I WAS HOPING HE WOULD TEACH HIM HOW TO EAT, SHOULD I CONTINUE TO DO THE VET RX? I WAS JUST AFRAID SINCE THEY ARE SO DUMB THEY WOULD STARVE, I'LL DEFINITELY TAKE ANY ADVICE, GOT A NEW ONE STILL IN THE INCUBATOR, THANKS AGAIN

 

[MissPrissy]

They don't need anything from you for a good 48 hours after hatch. Please stop trying to feed and water them so early. While we all have good intentions those intentions are lethal to fragile new hatchlings.

When they are dry and come out of the bator wait and do nothing. If you are prying their mouths open that should tell you they aren't hungry or thirsty. The yolk they absorbed has everything they need for up to 72 hours. The poults need to sleep alot under the warmth of a brood lamp.

Please don't try to feed them or give them water until they are 36 - 48 hours old. Then be VERY careful. 1 drop of water in their nostrils and they are as good as dead. They drown.

 

[dlhunicorn]

I agree that it does indeed sound as though thru giving them water in the way in which you are doing it that it is getting in their lungs (btw please take out the VET RX and do not use this as in this case it serves no useful purpose at best and may be detrimental at worse)
If you fear dehydration then dribble a bit of water alongside their beak ... this should be sufficient to encourage them to drink or dip their beaks (gently) into the waterer...

 

[birdsgalore]

THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP AND ADVICE, I'M WILLING TO TRY ANYTHING AT THIS POINT, THE REASON I WAS PRYING THEIR MOUTH OPEN IS LAST YEAR WE BOUGHT OUR FIRST BATCH FROM MCMURRAY HATCHERY,SO WE CALLED THEM AND THEY TOLD US TO FORCE THE EYE DROPPER, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE HELP AND I WILL DEFINITELY TAKE ALL THE ADVICE, THE ONE TURKEY THATS IN WITH THE PHEASANT IS ALREADY EATING BY WATCHING HIM, HE WASN'T THIS MORNING BUT LOOKS LIKE HE'S CAUGHT ON, I'LL KEEP EVERYONE UPDATED, MY TURKEYS THANK YOU TOO,LOL

 

[NYREDS]

It sounds to me like you are handling them too much & that the forced feeding & watering are excessive or even harmful.
Maybe my turkeys are gifted but they seem to find the food and water on their own w/o an instructor. Also, I've never had one drown in the rain [which is a myth btw] or in their waterer.
Try relaxing a little with future hatches. Provide them with their basic needs [heat, food & water] monitor w/o touching more than you absolutely have to and they'll probably do fine.

 

[MissPrissy]

That wasn't meant as a literal drown but to explain how natural instincts have been bred out of them. Many baby turkeys die in the elements and suffer at the hands of humans just the same.

Baby turkeys often do die after exposure to incliment weather - the same as baby chicks. They get wet, cold and sick and pass away. Most baby turkeys don't have a mother to teach them what they need to know for survival and are dependent on us for their care.

Turkeys are extremely curious creatures by nature. Groups of domesticated turkey have been seen standing in the rain with their beaks pointed straight up toward the sky. What are they doing? According to poultry research at the University of Illinois, it is unclear. Some turkey experts speculate that these birds are curiously looking at raindrops falling from the sky. Or could they be attempting to get a drink of water? We are still not sure! An old wives tale suggests that turkeys have been known to actually drown in this position. While this has not be substantiated at the University of Illinois, we do know that without guidance, some domestic turkeys do not know enough to come in out of the rain. If they are young and still covered with down instead of their true feathers, they are much more likely to suffer from exposure than from drowning. Not having enough sense to come in out of the rain may be an understatement in this situation.
University of Illinois Extention

Being educated and responsible for their well being is not something to be taken lightly. Everyone should educate themselves before hatching eggs or trying to raise a new little life.

There is a large number of threads lately where there is a lot of irresponsible hatching and killing of new chicks, ducks, geese, turkey, etc that could be prevented if people would read and learn before ever setting out to raise them. In my opnion this just is not an area where you start out by trail and error and can say, 'oops!' when it all goes wrong. A life is paid for by our mistakes. It is a lot of work being 'born' into this world and these little creatures are being abused at our hands. We humans are full of good intentions but our mistakes cost lives.​