**~~>>Second Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatchathon<<~~**all poultry welcome!

[Sally Sunshine]

So I am told that poults are dumb and need chicks to teach them to eat and drink, so is the game bird starter ok for my chicks??? I am confused!

 

[Arielle]

Poults have needed a mom to show them the food and water; either you can spend the extra time playing mother to show them the food and water repeatedly. or have a chick do the job. I don't think poults are dumb rather the develop a little differently than chicks. Some babies require more care than others. Chicks and poults tend to be copy cats and follow the leader.

Poults do need a higher protein than chicks as they grow MUCH faster. Chicks can eat the higher protein, no problem there. ANd chicks and poults can eat medicated; it is he ducklings that can apparently over eat on the medicated and that is a problem apparently. I don't have a lot of duck experience.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Poults have needed a mom to show them the food and water; either you can spend the extra time playing mother to show them the food and water repeatedly. or have a chick do the job. I don't think poults are dumb rather the develop a little differently than chicks. Some babies require more care than others. Chicks and poults tend to be copy cats and follow the leader.

Poults do need a higher protein than chicks as they grow MUCH faster. Chicks can eat the higher protein, no problem there. ANd chicks and poults can eat medicated; it is he ducklings that can apparently over eat on the medicated and that is a problem apparently. I don't have a lot of duck experience.

awesome! Thanks for straightening me out!

 

[chiques chicks]

So I am told that poults are dumb and need chicks to teach them to eat and drink, so is the game bird starter ok for my chicks??? I am confused!

I use game bird starter for everyone, chicken, Turkey, quail. Beats having so many bags around. I don't feed Medicated, so can't help there. The game bird starter is higher protein. Doesn't hurt the chicks, from what I see.

 

[HEChicken]

Sally, baby turkeys are called "poults". They can eat medicated, and right now I have a formerly broody hen raising 3 chicks and 2 poults, so I'm feeding them all gamebird starter. It is 28% protein so not ideal for the chicks but I think they'll be fine in the short term.

The little yellow one is a Royal Palm. Not sure what the others are.

I don't think its so much that poults are more stupid than chicks but that they have different needs. Watching my mixed brood, I noticed that when she wanted them to eat, she called them all over and showed them where the food was. The chicks immediately copied her, pecking in the same area and found food. However the poults just observed, looking around, waiting for dinner to be served. Eventually the Mama Hen tried getting food in her beak and lowering her head to the poults and that is what they were waiting for - to be fed. They ate the food off her beak for the first few days, and then when their appetites really took over, they started eating directly out of the bowl. They still prefer eating off her beak though and I'm thankful that she understood that is what they needed.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

oh WOW!!! I better start working with them while I can because tomorrow they are on their own while I am at the hospital with DH!! crap! Thanks all!

 

[Pele]

All 5 of my turkey poults made it out! I did get a panicked call this morning at work from my husband about one that's developed curled toes and spraddle. I'll probably need to go home during lunch to make sure he was able to get the bandaids on right.

 

[Wax Myrtle]

OMG! e OMG! e

I think I may have two or three ducklings zippING !!!! Is this possible? They only pipped somewhere between 18 and 20 hours ago!?!? And what's with the early hatch? This is only day 25! Forced air bator is set at 100.0* Think I might should lower it half a degree for the next hatch?

e

 

[wildriverswolf90]

Question for those of you that hatch with a brinsea eco 20. I have found that when I hatch the chicks in an egg cartoon, upright, same way they were set that I get a much better hatch rate. But have any of you tried just leaving the rails in while they hatch? I'm just wondering cause since it is such a small bator that sometimes I can't fit enough egg cartons in ttheir to hold all the eggs.

 

[Razadia]

Well, dad is talking about getting another duck to "replace" Ducky. Mal is wandering around looking lost without her and he refused to eat this morning. I've never seen a duck depressed, but Mal has always had another duck around. I went to the feed store with dad this morning, but all they had were day old chicks, some Bronze turkey poults, and the cornish cross chicks that have been there for the past 4 weeks. I haven't found anything on craigslist either.