newbie with day old turkeys

[jess5254]

I have never raised turkeys or been near turkeys and I could use a little help. I have done tons of research online and I am now on overload. I have four day olds that I hatched out in the bator. I have one with spraddle leg so I taped it with a band aid this am and hoping it gets better. I have noticed that turkeys are a lot quiter than day old chicks!! That is great considering they are in the living room. I have showed them there water and food but no one seems to want it. These are going to be raised for meat do I feed them anything different than the turkey starter and grower? Any info would be great. Thanks

 

[Frosty]

If they are only a day old, they can live off of the yolk for a few days. What do you have the food in? I usually get the part of an egg carton with the cups and put food in there for a few days until I know they are all eating from the feeder. I put paper towels over wood shavings for their bedding and scatter a little bit of food over it in the area where the feeder is. Make sure you are using a smaller fount for the water, I had one manage to flip upside down into the trough of a gallon fount and drown. I started using the quart size and never had problems.

Just be prepared, they can be highly addictive! What kind do you have?

 

[jess5254]

They are heritage breed. Since I got an incubator I have been hatching everything. I am now over run with chicks, ducks, and turkeys which I swore I would never have due to being to messy and big. You see how far that got me. Poultry are very addictive and now I am looking for geese. I read that splayed legs are due to not having good footing in the bator and brooder. I don't think that is always true. As soon as they hatched I put them in the brooder with shavings and papertowels over the shavings, I have a quart waterer which I have been showing them on and off and some seem to be getting the hang of it. Their food is in a shallow cat food dish, but sprinkling food on the papertowels is a good idea I never thought of that. I will do that. Thanks FOr Responding I appreciate it. Jess