Ready for poults...I hope

[logcabinky]

This is my first post on BYC but this is my go to site the last couple years when it comes to questions about chickens. I have 20 bourbon red poults coming in the next couple weeks and have a few questions.

1. Are poults really as dumb as everyone has told me? I've read about their supposed stupidity on several sites and had people in feed stores tell me they are so dumb they will drown themselves drinking water. Is this true?

2. I've raised chicks and ducklings (which are messier than my pig outside btw- really didn't expect them to be dirty ALL the time despite daily bedding changes and multiple daily waterer fillings- I don't know how such small fluffy beings make such a muddy mess!). Besides the obvious of keeping them warm like any young bird, is there anything else special needed in their brooder?

3. I've read not to feed them medicated starter because it will kill them. I was planning on using Dumor starter for turkeys (the one specially formulated for turkeys, ducks, etc). Has anyone had bad/good experience with this feed? It's all that is available at my local feed store.

4. When they are older, I plan on putting them in their own coop and run area separate from the ducks and chickens. However, I plan on letting them free range when they are old enough like my chickens (currently do) and ducks (will do when older). Is there any problems with free ranging turkeys? We have an ABUNDANCE of WILD TURKEYS around my home. Will this be a problem at all (i.e. my toms fighting with the wild toms or the turkeys wanting to join the wild ones)?

Any other words of wisdom?

Thanks in advance!

 

[dheltzel]

I don't find heritage breed poults to be any dumber than chicks. They are much more amenable to being hand fed and if there are no chicks being raised with them, you may need to show them what is food. I don't see them pecking at anything like newly hatched chicks. As far as drowning, I've had chicks drown, but not poults. But then I learned from the chick drowning and withhold water until they are sure-footed, or use a quail waterer for the first few days. Shiny marbles never hurt and might help, if there are no chicks with them. I always raise them with chicks and have had no problems at all.

Poults are (IMO) more personable than chicks and guineas. You will get attached to them. I can't imagine eating any of our turkeys now. They whistle and "chuck" at me to get me to bring them treats (quite effectively, I must train easily).

 

[dheltzel]

Forgot that starter issue. I feed 24% Dumor Gamebird starter, like you have. The commercial turkey starters are very heavily medicated to ward off Coccidosis and Blackhead. I prefer to keep my birds antibiotic-free, at least not giving them meds for no reason as the commercial places do. It certainly won't harm them to have medicated feed, as has been rumored about ducklings (I doubt it's true with today's meds).

 

[WalnutHill]

I also feed the Gamebird starter. My first hatch this year I used Dumor, but I usually use Prince as that's what I can readily get in large quantities.

Amprolium isn't an antibiotic, it helps combat coccidia causing protozoa. It's safe when used as directed for upland fowl.

I've not encountered a home-user starter that has any medication to combat blackhead. Nitarsone or Histostat-50 on the label would indicate a feed containing a blackhead preventer.

You'll find Bourbon Reds to be inquisitive, intelligent, and friendly. I have about 4 dozen in the incubator now.

 

[dheltzel]

I also feed the Gamebird starter. My first hatch this year I used Dumor, but I usually use Prince as that's what I can readily get in large quantities.

Amprolium isn't an antibiotic, it helps combat coccidia causing protozoa. It's safe when used as directed for upland fowl.

I've not encountered a home-user starter that has any medication to combat blackhead. Nitarsone or Histostat-50 on the label would indicate a feed containing a blackhead preventer.

You'll find Bourbon Reds to be inquisitive, intelligent, and friendly. I have about 4 dozen in the incubator now.

Agreed, I order most of my feed from a commercial feed mill (much cheaper than TSC), but not their turkey starter. They don't use Amprolium (which I am fine with, it comes in their chick starter, which I do use), but rather Avatec and Bacitracin - both true antibiotics with rather alarming (to me) potential for abuse and/or overuse.

 

[WalnutHill]

Agreed, I order most of my feed from a commercial feed mill (much cheaper than TSC), but not their turkey starter. They don't use Amprolium (which I am fine with, it comes in their chick starter, which I do use), but rather Avatec and Bacitracin - both true antibiotics with rather alarming (to me) potential for abuse and/or overuse.

Agreed, I would not use that either. I've raised plenty of Cornish X and broad breasted turkeys and never fed with antibiotic supplemented feeds. I feel that is a horribly irresponsible way to bypass the issues caused by the issues caused by the living conditions.

 

[dheltzel]

If you need to spike the food with antibiotics to keep your birds alive, you're doing it wrong. Even bigger profits don't justify irresponsibility, and just because it's "legal" doesn't make it ethical.

 

[WalnutHill]

And that is one of many reasons our birds taste SO much better and have much better looking livers when processed.

 

[logcabinky]

Thanks for all the insight on feed. Any issues with free ranging them when they get older other than typical predators?

 

[WalnutHill]

Highly Pathenogenic Avian Influenza is on the loose. If you are on any of the waterfowl flyways or near a waterfowl nesting area, your free-ranging risks are increased (for chickens and turkeys).

This disease can wipe out an entire flock in short order, and can be readily transported by wild birds or people.

There are not vaccines that can be given that don't create an immune response in the birds, making them ineligible for NPIP, transport across state lines, or showing.

This would be a good year to keep birds in a pen with netting that excludes wild birds completely. I haven't rebuilt my coops and pens yet but I may do so as I can't afford losing all my stock.