Turkeys For 2013

[Bettacreek]

Or maybe the spacing was too much? They're on half inch. Now, if the poults are too little, they would probably break their legs if they got stuck, and too big and you increase risk of bumblefoot.

 

[ShelterFarm]

How often does anyone clean their brooder? I can clean it one evening and by morning it's a mess. At this point I have to use newspaper. I'm trying to figure out how to use the pine chips without them getting absolutely everywhere.

With my chickens, I replace food and water once a day. I use a large plastic tub for the first two months - I use the fine flakes (about 2" deep) and I replace all the flakes about once a week. I use a hardware cloth lid with 1/2"x1/2" openings - which really helps reduce any "mess" from being thrown out of the tub.

I normally move mine into a larger brooder in my barn at about two months - one is a hutch, about 4'x6' with a vinyl-coated 1/2" wire floor and nesting boxes or I have a small coop that I can close the top section of and keep them protected from the elements.

For my incoming order of turkeys I plan to build a larger brooder out of wood that will be their initial home - still planning on using pine flakes.

 

[r4eboxer]

I need advice, I had three poults hatch yesterday, one pipped last night but hasn't done any more today. It is day 30, do I leave it alone another day?

 

[kuntrygirl]

I need advice, I had three poults hatch yesterday, one pipped last night but hasn't done any more today. It is day 30, do I leave it alone another day?

 

30 days is long enough. If it were me, I would gently crack it open and help it out (hoping that it is still alive). But that's just me. Some people say that if it is too weak to get out of the shell, it will be a weak turkey/breed and you may not want that trait in your flock. I, on the other hand, only care about saving the bird . So, that is what I would do.

 

[r4eboxer]

30 days is long enough. If it were me, I would gently crack it open and help it out (hoping that it is still alive). But that's just me. Some people say that if it is too weak to get out of the shell, it will be a weak turkey/breed and you may not want that trait in your flock. I, on the other hand, only care about saving the bird . So, that is what I would do.

Thanks, I just pulled the shell away, it kicked itself out after opening up the top, the yolk was completely absorbed but the cord is still attached to the eggs.

Thank you so much you just saved a little life.

I'm so thankful you responded so quickly I was going to let it go another day. It seems strong enough and there was not serious blood just the traces that are normally there after hatching.

 

[Arielle]

I need advice, I had three poults hatch yesterday, one pipped last night but hasn't done any more today. It is day 30, do I leave it alone another day?

Do a little investigating -- open the shell in tiny bits and pull back the WHITE membrane to look at the inner clear membrane. this is the location of the blood supply. Get a good look at it . If it has lots of blood veins, stop and wait. THe poult needs to absorb all the blood out of the veins first. THe veins will decrease in diameter and be almost impossible to see.

I have rescued many chicks and poults, most with good results.

ANd I'm not overly cautious about breaking the shell, I use a long screw as it has godd gripability and a sharp point to pick at the membrane and shell.

 

[kuntrygirl]

30 days is long enough. If it were me, I would gently crack it open and help it out (hoping that it is still alive). But that's just me. Some people say that if it is too weak to get out of the shell, it will be a weak turkey/breed and you may not want that trait in your flock. I, on the other hand, only care about saving the bird . So, that is what I would do.

Thanks, I just pulled the shell away, it kicked itself out after opening up the top, the yolk was completely absorbed but the cord is still attached to the eggs. Thank you so much you just saved a little life.   I'm so thankful you responded so quickly I was going to let it go another day. It seems strong enough and there was not serious blood just the traces that are normally there after hatching.

YEA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! e :cd

I am soooooooooooo happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Post a pic of that little buggar when you can.

 

[Arielle]

As to the curlled feet, I have seen that attributed to the mesh on the floor of the LG incubator, and to mesh floors of the brooders. In my experience I attribute it to genetics. I had a whole crop of chicks develop crooked toes. Yes they were hatched on the LG floor, but the brooder was not mesh, rather it was wood chips. ANd only those chick that were white- barred developed the problem. THey all had the same father. THe father did not show the problem at all. THe hens did not show problems with their feet eitherPerhaps it was the combination of a specific hen with that rooster. .I culled the rooster to end the problem.

I use a large space to brood. WHen I put only 25 chicks in a 5 x 4 area they did not have litter issues until about 8 weeks old. When I put in 50 chicks, the litter gets soiled and moster much sooner. I also like the drying effects of wood whereas plastic brooders hold in the moisture and require more litter changes.

THis year I am sticking to my wooden brooder and adding chicks as they hatch, and plan to move out the older chicks to another brooder at 4-6 weeks old. I'm trying to avoid the plastic buckets this year. BUt I have it in case it's needed.

 

[chickadoodles]

My DH and I have ventured into the poultry world... lol We got our first chicks a month ago and started adding turkeys as well.
We have found that no one anywhere near us has any poultry for sale. We have had to drive for hours to find any any where. I have not ordered from a hatchery since reading all the horror stories on BYC. So far we want to raise turkeys and chick. We found some slate blue's, narri's and some spanish black's and so far so good we just got some of them last fri. I am still waiting for my blacks to hatch so we can go pick them up... I figured I would start with an assortment of the herritage breeds to see which do the best and go from there.
We are still building the coops and pens while they are all still in the brooders. We will have to keep them in pens with welded wire and welded wire on the tops of the pens as we have all kinds of predators around here. But we will also be using electric fence outside the pens and coops to keep unwanted critters out! I am hoping to sell my eggs and some birds here and there.
I have enjoyed reading all the posts on turkeys and chickens. I have done alot of research online for the past few months getting ready for this. We are very excited to have our own flock of birds!

 

[Bitterroot]

10. Keep your poults off of the ground for as long as you can, so their immune system and body can get strong enough to be able to handle what is in the ground and what is in their environment..

Question about this one, Kuntrygirl. Would it be beneficial at all to bring in some soil and put a box of that in the brooder for them to pick through? Or would it do more harm than good? From, say, after the time when they are eating well on their own and from an area that does not have blackhead?

Hopefully I'll be getting a call from Porters before too long saying my poults are on their way, and I want to make sure I don't kill them.

Thanks!