Help! First time turkey raiser!

[nicolemm]

hello everyone I am new to this site and I was hoping for some help!

we found five abandon wild turkeys poults yesterday evening.we are well educated on raising chickens but turkeys are completely different story!

we have 3 really strong ones and two weak ones. I have given them all electrolyte water and food through an eye dropper.

my weakest one started to stumble around and kept ending up on his back I would continuously put him over just to find him in the same spot again. shortly after this begin I found him on his back doing what looked like he was gasping for air shortly after that he died.

if that's not devastating enough I just realized I have another one beginning to do the same thing.

the checks are probably between three and six days old I am feeding them medicated chick starter food which I had for my chickens I realize within the next few days they are going to need a higher protein content. they are also getting the electrolyte water Mix and we started them on a few mealworms which was close to what they were eating in the wild.they are currently kept inside with a heat lamp in their temperature is set to around 85 degrees


feeling like the worst mother ever any help or suggestions appreciated to save my little ones

 

[aztuffenuff]

sounds like your doing wbat I would...they need game bird feed mush it up feed with syringe call your local wild life office they should know some place you can take them to that have vets there and people that rehibilitate wild birds...I found a quail peep last year kept it alive long enough to take it to a.lady that. raises wild animals...good luck and God bless you for rescuing them!

 

[nicolemm]

Thanks for the advice. The wet mush was exactly what I was trying to feed them through the syringe. unfortunately I just lost the second weak one in the same manner.. almost like it had a seizure or something. hoping whatever is going on doesn't spread I have 3 left

 

[poochell01]

Im pretty new to this bird mom thing but I was told not to feed them the medicated chick start. They can have the un medicated or wild game bird feed. Sounds like your doing everything else right good luck.

 

[nicolemm]

how interestingwe have 15 bantams and I started them (turkeys) on the chick feed, just Because i had ir. I want to say its a purina brand for chickens ducks and turkeys. but this is good information I'll be sure to go to thestore tomorrow and pick up some wild game feed! Thanks

 

[Big Dan]

I had a similar problem with 7 days old when I realized my wife put the wrong bag of food in the bin. Once we got them off chick starter and on 28% they all started thriving.

 

[aztuffenuff]

I feed my turkeys Nutrena game bird feed and they are doing great..it is for hatchlings on up to mature. Its also all natural and its not to pricey. It is 26%...I like 28% for poults as the gal I got my poults from told me they need that but they are doing great on what I am feeding so I am not going to change! Every ones peeps are so pretty...I love my birds! They are so entertaining and I do not mind cleaning up after them...yall should see my horse corral after cleaning it up cleaning up turkey poo is a breeze!

 

[kuntrygirl]

How are they doing?

 

[aztuffenuff]

They are growing like crazy! I have one that is strutting and gobbling and the other 2 are just hanging with my hen. The one that is strutting is hanging with my tom Mr. Henry. My hen Maggie May has taken tbem under her wing. Mr. Henry is a Narragansett and so are my poults. My hen is a Royal Palm. The adults love the peeps and protect them. I am the only one they are comfortable with getting around the peeps. I am hoping the peeps are 1 tom and 2 hens...it is fun to try and guess what they are going to grow up to be! I love my birds and want to get my flock to be around 2 toms and 4 hens. The turkey eggs are very delicious! I am also hoping to take a few to the Pima county fair next year and win a few blue ribbons. I have them for pets but I also want to raise them to eat if I can bring myself to butcher some. I will have to if I raise them or I will have a lot of turkeys!! I really love the Heritage turkeys they are very beautiful. I want to get a pair of Mottled Black and Bourbon Reds but my favorites are the Narragansets. They look so much like wild ones and they are very hardy also! I never knew raising turkeys could be so much fun!