Hen-raised poults aren't eating

[Feathyr]

Tuesday morning, I picked up my broody turkey hen to find five little poults underneath her. They hatched two days earlier than expected, but all seem healthy. It's my first turkey hatch in two years!

Unfortunately, they're three days old and don't appear to have eaten. They're picking around, pulling their mama's waddle, and pecking at everything but their food. I was hoping that the hen would show them what to eat, but she doesn't appear hungry either. Perhaps she doesn't like the poult crumbles.

What should I do? One did pick at the crumbles, and then grew bored and ran back under the hen. Do I need to intervene, or just see if their mother pulls through?

 

[Alaskan]

That is most odd. Mom should be helping them eat.

Give some scrambled eggs or other good treat to see if mom will get excited and eat as well as teach the poults.

 

[sfgwife]

Are there still more eggs to hatch under her? Ours didnt come off that nest until every egg was hatched (or taken away.. we had some that were laid and got snuck under our ladies). Even after they all hatched it was one or two more day before the mamans actually got up off the nest to eat. We had their food and water right next to them so they nibbled and drank. The babies would slip out and get a quick nibble and be right back under the hens. So you might just not be seein them eat. I would put fresh food and water (with some rocks or big marbles so if a poult gets in the water it can get out) out close to the mamans and kinda flatten it out in the pan with my hand. That way i could see if it had been messed with cause we didnt see ours eatin for a few days either. But could tell that someone had been eatin cause the food was disturbed from the flat that we had left it as. .