Turkey pout hatched a day early..with problems, help!

[TurkenItUp209]

Hi last night was day 26 heard peeps, then a pip and hatched out at 3am this morning. He is dry, but he is not walking, or standing. His toes seem a little bit curled. He also has a unclosed navel with a teeny tiny bit of a yolk showing like the size of a O on your keyboard. I have him warm, but he does not want to move drink or eat.

 

[retlaw]

Leave him in a warm place and wait it out.
On hard hatches poults will get exhausted and be very sleepy for the first day or two.
The yoke will get absorbed.
They don't need to eat or drink the first day.
Spread some feed on the ground so it can peck at it if it feels like it and on day two put your finger in water and place it by the bill so it runs down it and see if it starts to drink slowly.
I had many like this.

 

[TurkenItUp209]

It's drinking and starting to move around a bit, but is shaky on its legs. Has no interest in food, today is day 28 so I'm hoping a buddy /bro/sis hatches soon. Also put two stuffed chicks (fake plush toys) in with it, it's snuggling with those. brooder temp is 94-96

 

[TurkenItUp209]

This afternoon has shown a lot of improvement it is walking around more, eating a little bit and drinking. Yay.

 

[retlaw]

I don't think the rest will hatch.
If you have one that early then they will all be early.
Incubator temp is to high.
You can check to see is they made a peep hole.
What happens is they will make a peep hole and then nothing.
So if you monitor the peep hole and if they still don't come out after 24 hours then the odds of them making it out by them self is very small.
You could help them along at that point just to get any that might survive.
But when you do help them I find that they get a leg issue because they didn't us it to help push them out of the shell.
So then you must shackle then for 24 hours to get them to build up the muscle in their legs so the legs stay together.
I use two small zap straps with a very small rubber band in between them.
Works great.

 

[TurkenItUp209]

I don't think the rest will hatch.
If you have one that early then they will all be early.
Incubator temp is to high.
You can check to see is they made a peep hole.
What happens is they will make a peep hole and then nothing.
So if you monitor the peep hole and if they still don't come out after 24 hours then the odds of them making it out by them self is very small.
You could help them along at that point just to get any that might survive.
But when you do help them I find that they get a leg issue because they didn't us it to help push them out of the shell.
So then you must shackle then for 24 hours to get them to build up the muscle in their legs so the legs stay together.
I use two small zap straps with a very small rubber band in between them.
Works great.

Yes you were right about the temps, they had to be high. I candled the rest last night and took 6 of the 8 out, only 2 made it past the third week, they rest passed earlier. left 2 in that still looked full. Day 29 today and will water bath test tonight to confirm. Oh well there is always my hens clutch and next year.

The poult is up and walking drinking and eating but has one toe that is bent on one foot. Thinking of splinting it? Ideas?

 

[retlaw]

Bent toes are fine.
They have no problems walking with them.

 

[Koeyohte]

Just keep an eye on the toe. You don't want it to grow like that permanently. If it's sideways, like the toe is straight but angled so the nail points in or out, that's normal. But if it keeps like that and the toe curls or bends, you can pick the chick up and hold it gently while holding the toe a little more straight. Not much pressure, just enough for it to get the idea. Do that daily.

I read "Illumination in the Flatwoods," a book about a naturalist who imprints on wild turkey poults and then watches as they eventually leave him to return to the wild. This is what he had to do for a few of them.

 

[TurkenItUp209]

He was doing great, eating and drinking, toe was even straightening out on it's own and I woke up to find him dead for no apparent reason.

Sad.

 

[Koeyohte]

I'm sorry! I have had chicks die when only a day or two... I don't know if it's just the nature of raising game birds (they lay so many eggs, probably to survive their line through the high mortality rate). I am sorry you lost this baby. Hopefully your others will do fine. Sometimes it happens with these birds.