Normal behaviors?

[Wyleiria]

Sorry in advance, I will probably drive everyone crazy with my constant questions. I have tried looking these answers up on here and google, and it's kind of hard to get specifics on turkey poults anyways. Here are my questions so far for my 3 week old poult:

1. Today is the 4th day I've had "her". Every time I checked on her today, she was laying down. I took her out of brooder cage and she was still just laying down on my lap. Not sleeping, just laying. I would really have to prod her to start walking around. Is this okay? Is it a sign of sickness or depression?

2. She keeps doing a 5 sequence chirp. It almost reminds me of a chick distress call. Sometimes she will do soft chirps, but a lot of times she's been making this noise. What does it mean? She even does it preening.

3. Are turkeys more observant and just study their surroundings? I am used to chicks running around and pecking things. She just stares at something and never really pecks. Just silently studies the ground or shiny things.

4. She moves very slowly sometimes. And sometimes she will hold a foot up in the air for a bit before walking. She also seems quit clumsy, stepping on her own feet. Is this normal?

 

[Wyleiria]

Slowly moving around:

Silently studying:

Feet on top of each other:

 

[ivan3]

What was the poult's situation prior to your acquiring it (in with many other poults/in with in hen and poults/hatched and by itself with human)?
What are you feeding it & have you directly observed it eating/drinking?
Does it stop calling when sitting on your lap?
Are the droppings consistently loose/odd colored (higher protein turkey starter will result in brownish goop more often than not)?
They are much more observant of surroundings than chicks, can be somewhat clumsy/gangle-about (actually collapsing/finding it supporting itself with wing instead of leg is a problem).

 

[Wyleiria]

The chick was hatched under a chicken and was the only poult to hatch. They didn't really expect it since it was so early. Then it was kept in a heated barn. It was used to people but not handled much. I am feeding her manna pro game bird/show bird crumbles. I have seen her eat and drink as she chatters at me after I handle her for a bit. She did do the loud chirp call when I had her on my lap outside, but I think only because a songbird kept calling back to her. Poops are sometimes loose, but not always.

 

[AmericanMom]

I almost wonder what she would do with a friend?? The constant calling would be my first thought. They as, are chickens are, social creatures and do better when they are not alone.

 

[Wyleiria]

There are no other poults in my area I could find. She will go with the chickens but as of now she has to be alone

 

[ivan3]

Don't know how warm the barn was, that she was hatched in but these guys are often very sensitive to exposure to low temps during first week after hatch (can impact normal use of legs - too high or low a temp during certain points during incubation can do the same). Just keep up the good work (looks pretty healthy) and pick up some live meal worms and offer those (will usually quicken interest in feeding - good source of protein). You might also consider administering Polyvisol Enfamil (without iron) infant vitamins - three drops a day for a week and then taper off (just on the off chance it might be deficient).

Good luck!

Oh, poults that imprint on humans tend to only peep incessantly when the human is out of sight.