Turkey Talk for 2014

[casportpony]

We bury ours, deep. Do your chickens have access to the compost pile? If they do, and the poults are the only ones dying, it's probably blackhead.

-Kathy

No actually, the chickens are all in pens, just the Turkeys roam unless a chicken gets out, but they don't regularly head there, the Turkeys scratch through there once a day.

Do you bury everything in the same place?

The people before us didn't have chickens here for at least the last 8 years.

We dig a new grave for ours.

-Kathy

 

[sonderah]

They aren't really around the chickens much at ask and they are mostly 4 month olds, ish. my yard is a square. Most of the chickens started in chicken tractors in the back yard, (middle of the square) for their first 3 weeks outside, then moved to the bottom offhand corner of the square. The meat birds we have live in the to right corner and although they do go past them as they roam, they don't spend but a few minutes there each day.

They do roam where the birds were for their first 3 weeks in the middle of the square, but the chickens have been gone for at least 2 months. Every night they go into a pen with 3 silver sebrights that should be at least 12 weeks old. We got them from a friend and held then for 30 days with no problems. They spend the night together.

We have some smaller chickens in a brooder that they can't get to, but they can dig through the 'compost'pile which had the let from the brooders and food water from the house and garden and grass and dead birds.

I was just curious as to the reason u r adding layer feed? It has too much calcium for birds not of laying age, and is really bad for them! I feel like poults r more sensitive than chicks are, and maybe they could be having a harder time with the calcium??

 

[casportpony]

They aren't really around the chickens much at ask and they are mostly 4 month olds, ish. my yard is a square. Most of the chickens started in chicken tractors in the back yard, (middle of the square) for their first 3 weeks outside, then moved to the bottom offhand corner of the square. The meat birds we have live in the to right corner and although they do go past them as they roam, they don't spend but a few minutes there each day.

They do roam where the birds were for their first 3 weeks in the middle of the square, but the chickens have been gone for at least 2 months. Every night they go into a pen with 3 silver sebrights that should be at least 12 weeks old. We got them from a friend and held then for 30 days with no problems. They spend the night together.

We have some smaller chickens in a brooder that they can't get to, but they can dig through the 'compost'pile which had the let from the brooders and food water from the house and garden and grass and dead birds.

I was just curious as to the reason u r adding layer feed? It has too much calcium for birds not of laying age, and is really bad for them! I feel like poults r more sensitive than chicks are, and maybe they could be having a harder time with the calcium??

You could be right... Too much calcium can cause visceral gout and death. Mine get turkey starter.

-Kathy

 

[Wasson6Pack]

Thinking threw reason through before I type now makes me sounds absolutely stupid.

I went to the feed store and wanted whatever came next after crumble and that is what they have me, so that is what I've been giving them ever since. I never questioned it. What should it be after crumbles?

 

[Wasson6Pack]

the poult we have here now that is sick, did have a runny stool just now, I've never seen them yellow and this is the first tiny one I've seen. They don't stand, just tuck theirselves in like they are sleeping and eventually die. I have been feeding watermelon rinds to them, was that not good?

 

[casportpony]

the poult we have here now that is sick, did have a runny stool just now, I've never seen them yellow and this is the first tiny one I've seen. They don't stand, just tuck theirselves in like they are sleeping and eventually die. I have been feeding watermelon rinds to them, was that not good?

I've treated many with blackhead and I've only ever seen one with truly yellow poop. Can you post a picture of it's poop?

How much work/money are you willing to invest in saving this poult?

FYI, the sick one needs to be in a warm room or cage, 80-85 degrees is ideal.

-Kathy

 

[sonderah]

Thinking threw reason through before I type now makes me sounds absolutely stupid.

I went to the feed store and wanted whatever came next after crumble and that is what they have me, so that is what I've been giving them ever since. I never questioned it. What should it be after crumbles?

I feed game bird starter until they are laying age. I found that the crumbles get wasted a lot with the chick feeders, so switch to the bigger feeders when they are about 6 weeks. U can also ferment their feed so that it isn't wasted, if that is ur reason for not wanting to feed crumbles. There are a lot of threads explaining that on here. I have switched to starter grower for chickens before if I only had 1 or 2 poults and a lot of chickens. I honestly do not remember what age that is ok though, because turkeys do need the higher protien. Maybe someone else knows?

 

[Wasson6Pack]

So there is a starter pellet? I will get it next time. I really want to ferment my feeds, but with all I've read, I've not been able to get it right yet, so I will start it again tomorrow. I tried without the ACV and it didn't work, so I bought done to try and haven't got it done yet, but them someone just told me that is the wrong starter culture so I'm going to start completely over from the beginning.

We do put AVC in their water once per well and a vitamin mix once per week for all animals. I'm guessing although we have been able to get this one to eat a bit, she won't make it long. I'm thinking since it is Friday I should try and take a look inside myself to see what I can see.

She is inside right now under a heat lamp. The 1 and only runny stool got cleaned up before I could take a picture and I can't upload them from my phone right now. I can see, but I doubt there is that fish medicine here locally. Do you add it to water and feed it to them? I need to get a syringe to administer things by mouth anyway, is that what you'd do?

 

[sonderah]

So there is a starter pellet? I will get it next time. I really want to ferment my feeds, but with all I've read, I've not been able to get it right yet, so I will start it again tomorrow. I tried without the ACV and it didn't work, so I bought done to try and haven't got it done yet, but them someone just told me that is the wrong starter culture so I'm going to start completely over from the beginning.

We do put AVC in their water once per well and a vitamin mix once per week for all animals. I'm guessing although we have been able to get this one to eat a bit, she won't make it long. I'm thinking since it is Friday I should try and take a look inside myself to see what I can see.

She is inside right now under a heat lamp. The 1 and only runny stool got cleaned up before I could take a picture and I can't upload them from my phone right now. I can see, but I doubt there is that fish medicine here locally. Do you add it to water and feed it to them? I need to get a syringe to administer things by mouth anyway, is that what you'd do?

No starter pellet that I'm aware of. I just use the crumbles in a 7-10lb feeder. Its more open and they waste less.

 

[casportpony]

How far is the nearest Petsmart? Springhill? They should have it. IMO, you need to act fast and get the API General Cure and Kaytee Baby Bird Food from Petsmart. You'll also need a size 16 or 18 French catheter tube and 35ml or 60ml catheter tip syringe, those you need to get from a vet, and should be able to call around and find a vet willing to sell them to you. Just say you have to tube a poult and need a size 16 or 18 French catheter, the red rubber type, don't try to explain that it's sick, just tell the what you need or they'll insist that you bring it in.

It's Friday, so it's now or never as most vets are only open for a few hours on Saturdays. I am available by phone to help you tube.

-Kathy