Turkey Poult Flipping Over

[Calebs Acre]

We hatched our first two turkey poults yesterday and today. Yesterday's baby was in with the baby ducks born at the same time and had few problems, though he was much slower to get up and moving than the ducklings.

But, the poult born today is fluffy and warm and has been out of the shell for about 10 hours now, but from time to time, she slips over on his back, starts peeping furiously and once I right him, he's OK for another few hours or so.

He is also in with a baby duck hatched within an hour of him, but that duck is quiet and snuggles with it. I took the poult from yesterday, who is now dwarfed in size by his brooder mates, and put it in with today's poult and the other duck, but now, I feel like I have to get up every hour or so to check and make sure he is OK.

He does not look the normal duck or chick who is flipping due to failure to thrive. I just noticed between the two poults that the turkeys are much slower to get strength in their legs and balance, compared to my runner babies, or even my geese.

OMG, the poults are the cutest things with the most gorgeous "coats". So beautiful. I'm so afraid I will lose them.

Any advice?

Thanks!

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

According to a study done on this exact thing, of the potential factors influencing poult flip-overs, only late hatched poults and slow genetic growth appeared to be important influences.

The heritability of the trait appeared to be low, so selection would not be very effective in reducing the occurrence of flip-overs.

Selection for increased egg production has led to changes in other traits, including body weight, fertility, average clutch length, egg weight, days lost to broodiness (Anthony et al., 1991; Nestor et al., 1996), and changes in egg composition (Nestor and Noble, 1995). From the current study, it appeared that increased occurrence of poult flip-overs was another correlated response to long-term selection for increased egg production.

 

[Calebs Acre]

Thanks for the information. Is it likely the poult will not survive?

I bought these eggs from a fellow BYC-er, not my own turkeys.

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

from y experience once they start 90% wind up dying. There is really nothing that one can do to my knowledge to prevent it or help them survive it, what winds up happening is that the stress and the energy they use in the process is what gets them.

Good Luck on them and hope it comes out better for you


Were they hatched late ?? what day did they hatch on ?? Anything different with the ones flipping during hatch then the rest ??

Just wondering for my own personal knowledge, as we hardly ever have this problem

 

[Calebs Acre]

I had six eggs shipped. Once was scrambled and five developed to some extent. They were placed in a Genesis incubator with steady heat and humidity. Thursday was Day 27 and the first turkey hatched in the afternoon. Early evening, the second egg began to pip. Today (Friday) was Day 28 and the second turkey hatched in the early morning.

The three remaining eggs stopped at various stages of development. Enlarged air sacs. My husband is the candler and is unsure sometimes about his interpretations of what he sees, especially with these being the first turkeys. So we left them in the incubator anyway. So we hatched two out of five.

I'm concerned about first turkey now because it's not really thriving very well. It's only about 36 hours old and it seems lethargic. The flipping turkey is full of energy, at this point. But, gosh, it's going to be hard if I lose them both. Maybe even harder on the surviving poult if the other dies.

This hatching business really takes a strong heart.

 

[Calebs Acre]

Update:
This morning, both turkeys are doing better. I checked on them hourly all night and (knock on wood) in the past four hours or so, no more flipping over. As a matter of fact, the little one has finally been up on those long legs and walking some. I took a tiny jar lid and put in some water and sprinkled some crumbles on the floor and they were both drinking.

The one who is a day older and was acting lethargic, seemed to get its mojo back and has much more energy and is walking around, looking much better this morning.

I guess I am going to have to add a waterer and feeder today. I love all of my babies until they get a waterer, then they turn into suicidal maniacs. I have the "non-drowning" quail waterers, but they still manage to get wet all of the time.

My fingers are crossed that this little guy is in the 10% of flippers who survive. I'll be heartbroken if "he" isn't.

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

try mixing in 1 TSP of molasses in a gallon of warm water and give this to the poults for the first few days this will help get their energy back

got fingers crossed for you that you are going to have the surviving ones !!!!

 

[Calebs Acre]

Thank you, I will get my molasses out shortly! So far, so good.
You don't have the Sweetgrass turkeys, do you?

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

No we don't raise them, the best place that I know of that has them is Porters turkeys

http://www.porterturkeys.com/sweetgrass.htm

 

[geeperspeepers]

Hi there,

Last year I hatched some poults and used a couple of rabbit water bottle with the tube and ball nozzle thingy for the poults to drink from. The poults caught on to it right away since the ball was good and shiney. Worked for me so if your concerned with drowning poult syndrome try this!

gp