Too young for daytrips outside?

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

I hatched 3 poults last Wednesday, so they're nearly a week old. They've started to try jumping/flying out of the brooder today. It has been and will be in the 80s this week. Can they go on a little field trip outside? If not, when will they be old enough for day trips? Next week?

The ducklings I hatched with them the same day are spending the day outside and if I had chicks the same age I would definitely put them out as well. I know poults are more fragile/delicate, I just don't know exactly how much more delicate....

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

I wouldn't take week old poults outside, give it at least 3 or 4 weeks. If they get wet or chilled at that young of an age it could result in them getting sick.

Steve in NC

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

we usually wait until they are about 8 weeks old - the big (and terrible lesson) that we learned this year is that their little immune systems arent quite firing on all cylinders. then we put ours out in a really shady spot with lots of waterers and then only for a short time.

the ducklings are much more self sufficient - plop them right outside in the grass and dont forget the pan of water for them to swim around in!

good luck!

anybody else???

 

[Marlinchaser]

Mine have been outside since day one, but I didnt let MOM out with poults till after the grass was dry.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
Who would have thunk it..... you should patent your method. Now if only the OP could hatch out a MOM turkey they would be all set huh?

Steve in NC

 

[toredano]

I dunno..my MOM wouldnt appreciate that at all. She dont like sitting outside anyway..

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

Quote:
Who would have thunk it..... you should patent your method. Now if only the OP could hatch out a MOM turkey they would be all set huh?

Steve in NC

Hopefully next year Momma turkey will be doing all the work for me (please let me have at least a pair out of the 3 that hatched

)

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Some hens do a good job raising poults others not so good, like any other bird I guess. Poults raised from hens will be much better mothers. We are in the process of having all our breeders hen raised. I think it makes better, stronger and more overall healthy poults than incubating and broody. With a hen it truely is "only the strong survive"

Steve in NC

 

[Skyesrocket]

Hey Steve, get some silkies to hatch out your eggs!
I decided to experiment and so I put 6 turkey eggs in the incubator and set 6 more eggs under a broody showgirl hen. All 12 of the eggs hatched. After the poults in the incubator were 2 days old I moved them outside with the showgirl hen and her clutch. The hen taught them all how to eat and drink and she has done a wonderful job raising them.
They are about a month old now and she has them outside in front of the barn every morning teaching them to hunt for bugs. Some of them are almost as big as she is already, but she is still mom to them.

 

[BorderKelpie]

Quote:
I would love to see pictures of that. How cute is that?