Poults came in!

[jopheso]

Well the turkey poults came in! 10 Narragansett and 10 Midget Whites. We lost 1 of each on day 2, but other than that they seem pretty good. The brooder is 4X4X2. Its set up so I can easily take it apart and store the lumber for next time I need a brooder. Next project will be a grow out pen that I will build out of cattle panels, hoop house style I believe. I think they can move to that at about 4 weeks old. It will be on the grass outside and should be pretty easily to move. Sorry my voice is so low in the video. I will work on that.

 

[Eggsoteric]

How exciting! They look like tiny little Pterodactyls! Hope they all thrive.

 

[jopheso]

How exciting! They look like tiny little Pterodactyls! Hope they all thrive.

That's exactly what I think of them. The bigger they get the more like dinosaurs they appear!

 

[SunHwaKwon]

That's a good sized brooder and good set up. It's hard to tell, but are the midget poults smaller than the others?

 

[jopheso]

That's a good sized brooder and good set up. It's hard to tell, but are the midget poults smaller than the others?

Its hard to tell, but so far the midgets do not appear noticeably smaller than the Narragansett. From what I've read at adulthood they should be 5-8 lbs smaller so we will see.

Yes they are definitely spoiled so far. The cottage they are in even has a window unit so I can run it on fan only and circulate air without reducing the temp of the room.

They do not eat drink or poop anywhere near the amount coturnix chicks do. Obviously that will change just based on sheer size difference, but man its an interesting comparison and gives me even more respect for the food to meat conversion of the Coturnix quail.

I got some materials gathered for the grow out pen I'm building. I hope to build it tonight. It should end up being 8x15x6 feet tall. That should be plenty of room for 18 turkeys at around 4-8 weeks old right? Also the grow out pen will initially act as housing for my quail prior to the turkeys being put in there, at which time the quail will move into their own smaller tractor. Any known issue with quail and turkey occupying the same space at different times?

 

[supergirl105]

Very cool brooder! If you don't mind my asking, what is the flooring like? I've got my first poults hatching now, and I can already tell the plastic tote brooder I've used for chickens and ducks isn't going to cut it with the turkeys!
Thanks!

 

[jopheso]

Very cool brooder! If you don't mind my asking, what is the flooring like? I've got my first poults hatching now, and I can already tell the plastic tote brooder I've used for chickens and ducks isn't going to cut it with the turkeys!
Thanks!
Well the floor is just a piece of OSB and the bedding is Pine shavings. I like pine shavings because they do a pretty good just with the smell. The chicks are 2 weeks old now and they will be going outside into the grow out pen as soon as I get it built. At that point I will just put all the bedding into the compost bin and take the brooder apart. It should be pretty simple and then I can store it easily until the next time I need a brooder.