sick turkey poults!

[scruffysmom]

I got 3 turkey poults Tuesday and today two of them can hardly walk and are very lethargic, only opening eyes briefly. At one point one of them was shivering. They are in a brooder under the heat lamp. I got a little pedialyte into them, but they don't look good. They were fine yesterday. I have them separated from the third one who seems to be ok right now. There's poop in the brooder but I don't see anything different or obvoius. Any ideas?

Just checked on poults, poop is white and runny. Got a little more pedialyte into them. Noticed one shiver again after he took a drink.

 

[PatS]

I lost a couple of poults in my first batch, they just became lethargic and stood there, wings drooping. Some folks suggested that poults often don't eat/drink enough without encouragement. I had seen mine eating and drinking and assumed they were fine.

With my second batch I added a chick (a broody hen had just hatched out a clutch, and I "borrowed" them individually for 12-hour shifts away from Mama). The chick kept eating and drinking on a VERY regular basis, and the turkey poults just followed it to the food dish and waterer. All five of the poults survived. After about three or four days of "tutoring" from the chicks, the poults were fine. (The chicks were not thrilled with the assignment, they always looked very happy to be returned to their clutch-mates and mother hen.)

I still don't know for sure my first losses were from a lack of them seeking out enough food and water, but it is certainly a possibility.

 

[scruffysmom]

The two poults died this evening. The third one appears seems to be holding his own for the moment. I did give him a little more pedialyte. I have seen him drink. I didn't have any problem with my other 6 poults. Hopefully this one will make it. I have him with my peachicks right now, they eat and drink a lot.