new Polts stressed, what to do?

[nes]

Just picked up some new 3/4 week polts this afternoon and they look COMPLETELY stressed out!

Unfortunately I had to be out for the evening, but I'm not sure any of them have eaten or drank yet.
They are just huddled together.

I did just give them a heat lamp (it's not cold, but very damp), and I'm hoping that's going to perk them out.

What more can I do?

I'm sure if they make it through the night they'll be fine by tomorrow.

 

[kuntrygirl]

How old are they? Just make sure that they are warm and have water and food.

 

[nes]

3 or 4 weeks.

They have all 3, they just don't look happy.

Although I have to say, one of them has already proven himself to be a little turd

getting into all sorts of trouble!
They are very pretty, really interesting birds.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I think they will be ok. They are in a new environment, so they need to get familiar with their new home. Do you have a small stuff animal that you can put in there with them so that they can snuggle up next to it?

 

[nes]

They were just cold

.

They still don't look very happy but they do look much revived & have spread out under the heat lamp now.
Our chicks/ducks are all cuddled in a big mass, but they do that when it's hot too!

It's not that it's cool out tonight (it's 18C, still warm!) but it's damp because of the rain, even the adults are sleeping under the big lamps tonight

.

We definitely have some stuffies kicking around but I'm pretty sure my 3 year old wouldn't be too impressed with that idea

 

[mochicken]

I got three bronzes recently that were 5 days old, they hid in the corner and did not move for hours, I was concerned about that so I took on of my baby chicks and put in there, the chick was not shy at all and instantly started eating their food and drinking their water. Within a few hours the poults were up and at em, eating drinking and even roosting.

I let the chick stay with them for a week or so, they cried when I took her away lol but its best. They are now 3 1/2 weeks old and are playful, always chirping and playing, and growing at a VERY fast rate so I guess they are good lol

 

[ColbyNTX]

Quote:
18C is too cold for 3 week poults! That is about 64F! They need to me kept around 31-34C at this age. When they pile up in a corner, they are cold and can smother and kill eachother.

 

[nes]

Arg, this turkey thing is confusing!

There are only 4 of them so I'm not too worried about them smothering each other. I'll keep the heat lamp on for them then, we're going to have a few days of wet/cool weather.

How quickly am I supposed to drop the temperature now? It would have been that warm mid-day all last week anyway.

 

[ColbyNTX]

Just keep the light in there! I saw your setup in another post and they have room to move from the heat if they get warm or to it if they are cold. It's not just a turkey thing, it is for all young poultry. That IS your problem, they are cold.

 

[nes]

Still learning

.

The weather is messing me up a bit, it has been so hot I've been worried about keeping them cool, now I've got to worry about them getting chilled!!

They're all happy now, still shy but looks like they are eating and drinking

.

I did ask the feed store & told them how old the turkeys were, but that growing looks like awfully big pellets for little guys, they'll just break them up?