Turkey Talk for 2014

[Chad Cool]

I find that hatching turkey eggs is no different than hatching chicken eggs. The only difference is they take 28 days instead of 21days. I run the same temp and the same humidity for both.

After hatch they do fine with chicks in the brooder if you are hatching chicks with them. The chicks are called tutors they help the poults learn to eat and drink faster. If you don't have tutor chicks keep a close eye on the poults and make sure you actually see each of them eating and drinking dont just assume because one is they all are. Some poults are slower to learn the eating and drinking process and need encouragement. Though I personally haven't found that to be an issue with my poults. I like to add the flat shiny marbles(fish tank marbles) to the water and feed dishes to encourage them to peck.

As for free ranging with chickens that is fine. My turkeys LOVE my chickens and tend to like to hang out in the chicken yard. The one main issue that could occur if you have it in your area is blackhead being transmitted from chickens to turkeys. Chickens can carry it with no effect while turkeys that get it can become very ill or die. Also Turkeys can and will wander further than the chickens, mainly the hens, they like to explore. Also they will fly onto and roost on everything, your deck, tops of cars, roof of your house etc.

They also do not typically put themselves back to bed in their coop at night. If you don't herd then back before dark they will sleep where ever they please. Mine choose the railing on my front deck.

Thank you for your reply, will you share the temp and humidity levels the you use? Also do you clean the eggs before going in the bator?

 

[SilkieSensation]

Also, when using chicks as turkey tutors, I set the chicks 4-5 days after the turkey eggs. Chicks take 21 days, poults take 28. I like to have my chicks 1-3 days older than the poults so that they are already eating & can show the poults right away. Also, it gives the chicks a couple days to get steady on their feet & avooid being steppped on by poults who tend to be bigger.

 

[Chad Cool]

My turkeys, chickens, ducks & geese are all penned together. The ducks tend to stay to themselves as do the geese but the chickens & turkeys are pretty peaceful toward each other. This group of chickens was raised with poults. There has almost always been at least 1 turkey penned with them. I use chicks as tutors to teach my turkey poults to eat & drink as babies. Turkeys are a bit slower to pick up on these things & the chicks teach them. You will see the poults copy the chicks. As for integrating adults who have not alreafy been together, my biggest problems have been the turkey hens. They insist on being at the top of the pecking order even above the roos & toms. After a week or so of squabbles the hens finally established themselves & I now rarely see more than an occasional plucked feather or quick peck & a bird quickly getting out of the turkey hens' way. I try not to intervene unless blood is drawn or someone is being kept from the food & water. I just make sure I have 2-3 feed & water stations available so everyone has a chance to eat with friends.

you brought up some good points about pecking order and feed,water stations thanks.

 

[Chad Cool]

Also, when using chicks as turkey tutors, I set the chicks 4-5 days after the turkey eggs. Chicks take 21 days, poults take 28. I like to have my chicks 1-3 days older than the poults so that they are already eating & can show the poults right away. Also, it gives the chicks a couple days to get steady on their feet & avooid being steppped on by poults who tend to be bigger.

That is a great idea.

 

[chicken pickin]

Quote:
This does make a lot of sense. I personally choose to set my chicken eggs 7 days after the turkey eggs so they go into lockdown together and hatch at the same time. My concern is having chicks hatching when poults are going into lockdown and then having to pull chicks out a day or 2 later after hatch when poults are just starting to pip. I prefer not to run that risk.

 

[SilkieSensation]

If you have been hatching marans (which are definitely not the easiest to hatch) then I think you should be fine. Do everything exactly the same except for it taking an extra week.

 

[chicken pickin]

Quote:
The temp is 99.5 and I keep humifity between 30-40% during the first 18days for chickens and the first 25days for turkeys, then I bump up humidity to anywhere between 60-67 the last 3 days during hatch.

 

[SilkieSensation]

Quote:
This does make a lot of sense. I personally choose to set my chicken eggs 7 days after the turkey eggs so they go into lockdown together and hatch at the same time. My concern is having chicks hatching when poults are going into lockdown and then having to pull chicks out a day or 2 later after hatch when poults are just starting to pip. I prefer not to run that risk.

I run 3 bators at once so have the option to lockdown together or separate, but even running them together I have not had any problems. I just mist the lid of my bator with hot water before closing & only open when I have to. It works well with my set-up as my humidity rebounds very quickly. If you have trouble keeping humidity up you may want to set them 6 days apart to still give the chicks a little headstart but allow them to be close enough together to avoid opening the bator.

 

[SilkieSensation]

Quote:
The temp is 99.5 and I keep humifity between 30-40% during the first 18days for chickens and the first 25days for turkeys, then I bump up humidity to anywhere between 60-67 the last 3 days during hatch.

Humidity is relative to your individual location & incubator. Temperature is also dependent on your bator. All of these are influenced by whether your bator is still air or has a fan. The best way to determine what will work for turkeys is to use what works for your chicks since you have already been hatching those successfully. Everyone is going to have different things that may work for them but will be disasterous in someone else's bator. I recommend you run your turkeys exactly as you have been running your chicks. You already know what works & the only real difference is in the length of time they take to incubate.

 

[Chad Cool]

Humidity is relative to your individual location & incubator. Temperature is also dependent on your bator. All of these are influenced by whether your bator is still air or has a fan. The best way to determine what will work for turkeys is to use what works for your chicks since you have already been hatching those successfully. Everyone is going to have different things that may work for them but will be disasterous in someone else's bator. I recommend you run your turkeys exactly as you have been running your chicks. You already know what works & the only real difference is in the length of time they take to incubate.

I think I will stick with what works.