Turkeys and Electric Netting

[R2elk]

Right, I have seen you post this statement before in other threads... learning as I go. Thanks.

By the way, as these poults are making the trek from Michigan to Southern Virginia, what do you recommend upon their arrival? I was thinking about something like TSC Wellness Brew added to their water for a couple of days along with brown sugar. I have Kalmbach 28% Turkey Starter as their feed. With chicks, I have generally used regular water with no additives with success but I know poults can be more fragile.

I use Purina 30% protein game bird starter. I add nothing to their warm water.

There is nothing wrong with adding Nutri-Drench to their water.

I use sand as the bedding in my brooder. I do not recommend using wood chips for the bedding. If you use wood chips, make sure they have appropriate sized grit available.

I use a 4'x4' brooder with a GQF brooder heater set at 90⁰F at the bedding level.

I sprinkle the starter feed on the sand bedding. Poults naturally peck at things on the ground. They normally start eating within 5 minutes of being put in the brooder. It may take several days before they figure out that the stuff in the feeder is also food.

I dip each poult's beak in the water as I put them in the brooder.

 

[Berd Man]

I hadn’t ever considered sand as substrate for turkeys in the brooder. Great way to get them the grit along with the food.

 

[R2elk]

I hadn’t ever considered sand as substrate for turkeys in the brooder. Great way to get them the grit along with the food.

I use sand because I live on a sand dune. It is free for the digging.

 

[skeeeter]

If you have enough free time, take your poults strolling through the woods in the late afternoons..(Fowl can find looots of goodies in the woods. You could take the chix too.) But if you do that, you will have to make it a habit or else they will get mad at you when you are lazy or indisposed, and may decide to go without you.

 

[Chicken Heel]

I use Purina 30% protein game bird starter. I add nothing to their warm water.

There is nothing wrong with adding Nutri-Drench to their water.

I use sand as the bedding in my brooder. I do not recommend using wood chips for the bedding. If you use wood chips, make sure they have appropriate sized grit available.

I use a 4'x4' brooder with a GQF brooder heater set at 90⁰F at the bedding level.

I sprinkle the starter feed on the sand bedding. Poults naturally peck at things on the ground. They normally start eating within 5 minutes of being put in the brooder. It may take several days before they figure out that the stuff in the feeder is also food.

I dip each poult's beak in the water as I put them in the brooder.

I was planning on using Pitt Moss brand recycled paper bedding but like Berd Man using sand is something to consider. I have a 125 W Infrared heat lamp set up which is ranging in temperature directly underneath at bedding level from 90⁰F at night to around 100⁰F by the afternoon. I have chick grit on hand as well. Thanks for your continuing insights.

 

[R2elk]

I was planning on using Pitt Moss brand recycled paper bedding but like Berd Man using sand is something to consider. I have a 125 W Infrared heat lamp set up which is ranging in temperature directly underneath at bedding level from 90⁰F at night to around 100⁰F by the afternoon. I have chick grit on hand as well. Thanks for your continuing insights.

Temperature controllers with wired sensors are not that expensive and do a good enough job for a brooder. Plug your heat source into the controller, put the sensor where you want to control the temperature and let it do the work.

This is the unit that I am currently using.

WILHI WH1436A

 

[Berd Man]

I was planning on using Pitt Moss brand recycled paper bedding but like Berd Man using sand is something to consider. I have a 125 W Infrared heat lamp set up which is ranging in temperature directly underneath at bedding level from 90⁰F at night to around 100⁰F by the afternoon. I have chick grit on hand as well. Thanks for your continuing insights.

I haven’t used that bedding, it looks like they mashed recycled paper and cardboard into almost an insulation consistency. Interesting, let us know if poults try and chow on it. I first tried pine shavings, then went to shredded paper, and eventually settled on paper towels. I found poults just kept eating the bedding. They had grit, but I just didn’t like them eating what wasn’t feed.

 

[Chicken Heel]

I haven’t used that bedding, it looks like they mashed recycled paper and cardboard into almost an insulation consistency. Interesting, let us know if poults try and chow on it. I first tried pine shavings, then went to shredded paper, and eventually settled on paper towels. I found poults just kept eating the bedding. They had grit, but I just didn’t like them eating what wasn’t feed.

My update on the poults is that they finally arrived yesterday morning. One of the 16 was DOA but it was no wonder with them apparently sitting in the Detroit, MI airport for almost 24 hours and the Roanoke, VA USPS distribution center for another 14 hours during their journey. They were shipped priority mail express on Monday but it still took 3 days. It was touch and go for several of the remaining 15 for a few hours yesterday afternoon but I made sure they were drinking their vitamin/brown sugar water. And I gave them a wedge of watermelon as was suggested in the literature Kevin Porter provided with the shipment. It was a remarkable turnaround to witness after that as they perked up quite rapidly and began pecking at the crumbles and this morning all 15 are still alive and seem okay. I also believe the turnaround is a credit to the vigor that has been bred into them. According to the packing list, I received a mix of four each Chocolate Painted, Firefall, Penciled Palm and Sweetgrass which is a very nice collection. I'll try to get some photos over the weekend as yesterday was daunting. And R2elk was right on the money with his tugging on the heartstrings comment... they are something to behold.

 

[Berd Man]

My update on the poults is that they finally arrived yesterday morning. One of the 16 was DOA but it was no wonder with them apparently sitting in the Detroit, MI airport for almost 24 hours and the Roanoke, VA USPS distribution center for another 14 hours during their journey. They were shipped priority mail express on Monday but it still took 3 days. It was touch and go for several of the remaining 15 for a few hours yesterday afternoon but I made sure they were drinking their vitamin/brown sugar water. And I gave them a wedge of watermelon as was suggested in the literature Kevin Porter provided with the shipment. It was a remarkable turnaround to witness after that as they perked up quite rapidly and began pecking at the crumbles and this morning all 15 are still alive and seem okay. I also believe the turnaround is a credit to the vigor that has been bred into them. According to the packing list, I received a mix of four each Chocolate Painted, Firefall, Penciled Palm and Sweetgrass which is a very nice collection. I'll try to get some photos over the weekend as yesterday was daunting. And R2elk was right on the money with his tugging on the heartstrings comment... they are something to behold.

You’re gonna have some beautiful turkeys with that group for certain. The shipping process can be such an ordeal. Best of luck during the next few weeks with the poults! Keep very a close eye till about 4 weeks is what I was told.

 

[Chicken Heel]

You’re gonna have some beautiful turkeys with that group for certain. The shipping process can be such an ordeal. Best of luck during the next few weeks with the poults! Keep very a close eye till about 4 weeks is what I was told.

Plan to... actually leaving work at lunch to check on them after taking off all day yesterday... a lady here in the office just stated that she was going to get her some turkeys as well if it meant extra time off.