UPDATE:Turkey Poult is Wobbly Please help/DIARREHA NOW!!

[lcourtaway]

Today a friend drove to Cackle Hatchery and picked up 4 chicks and one blue slate turkey poult for me. This is my very first experience with a turkey. The chicks (EE, BO, Brahma, J.Giant) all seem fine just like my last 10 day old chicks. But my turkey poult seems wobbly on his feet and sometimes his toes seem to bend in funny positions, it's worse on his left foot. His legs seem fine and I've checked him over otherwise and he appears healthly overall. He just hatched early this morning apparently and he was the last one left so they sent him home with me. Is this normal? Will he get better as he gets a little older? She said she thought the toes were bendy because the bones had not yet hardened or he may hav had to push too hard on the shell to get out. Wasn't he a little young to be sold or is that not important? I have worried 5 days off my life in a mere 12 hours. Can someone give me some insight? I know I just got him/her but it is adorable and I am already totally in love and will be chrushed if it dies. What are my chances of being able to raise it to adulthood. I've never had a chick die although I've only raised 10 bantams until now and I am a super clean freak about cage condition/food/temperature. Help!!! I'm sick with worry!

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Poults are wobbly at first, they have those long legs and takes time for them to get steady. Should be within 24 hours to be getting around good. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't flip over backwards, most times they can't get back up. Make sure it's eating and drinking. It should follow the chicks around and learn from them.

That's one of the reasons we don't sell day olds, we usually keep them for a week to get them eating and drinking.

Steve in NC

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

Just gotta watch him close. The ones that we loose here are the ones after a day or so that are drunk looking. They seem to eat and drink but must just be too weak to go on. What I've noticed in poults is there will to live when they get weak is very poor. They just seem to go to the corner and die. And also watch that he does not get piled on top of and die that way because he is weak.

 

[lcourtaway]

NOW IT'S DIARREHA!!The wobblyness has disappeared but he seemed lethargic. He would peck at the food but not eat. I was told to try hard boiled egg yolks which he will peck and eat but he didn't seem to be eating enough so I gave him baby food whick perked him up and he's eating a litle better but only the yolks and not much of the turkey startena. He's in with 4 chicks in the brooder and now he has yellow diarreha whichs smells strange...not neccessarily bad or foul just strange...not like chicken poop. What is wrong with my baby. I need advice please. I am so attached to this little guy! If I had know it was so difficult to raise I would have thought twice. No one else seems to be having problems. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Why are you feeding a turkey baby food? That's not food for poultry, they need a high protien, dry type feed.

Steve in NC

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

I can't figure out why you would feed a poult baby food ?? But any ways....

1) Stop feeding the poult baby food

2) Feed a 24% or higher game bird feed to him

3) Mix 1 Tablespoon of Molasses and 2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar to a gallon of water and place this in his waterer for the next week.

After the first week continue to put 1 Tablespoon of the ACV in his waterer for the next 8 weeks or so.

The molasses will help clean him out and they like the taste so that will keep him drinking.

ACV will help get his gut working with the proper acidic properties needed and will also help fight against cocci and then there is no need for medicated feeds.

4) Boil an egg and crush it up real good sprinkle half the egg on the floor of the brooder by the feeder and sprinkle the same amount or so of his regular feed with it. This will help him eat and when the egg is cleaned up he'll eat his normal feed. Make sure to have a feeder full of feed right by the area you throw the egg and feed at so he can get that part figured out.

5) Make sure the brooder is good and warm

-week old - 95-100 deg.

After a week then start dropping by 5 degrees untill you are at 70 or so.

 

[zatsdeb]

Quote:
this is what I was thinking also... warmth is very important! turkeys are very fragile when they are babies!!!!

 

[lcourtaway]

brooder is 95 degrees in the hot zone maybe 92 at the edges. He has game bird turkey startena from Purina (28% protein)and I have sprinkled it all over. I was only feeding the baby food (oatmeal with apples, and peaches and crushed up startena because he wasn't eating and just like you said it was like he was giving up and so lethargic It was a last resort. I worked for a wildlife rehab place and they used that mixture to perk up baby owls so I didn't think I would hurt him. I'm sorry if I did. He did become more energetic and he is now eating some of his startena but it doesn't seem like a it's very much. I have done the molasses you recommended with the apple cider vinegar. What is ACV?? Where do I get it?
Sometimes when he's tired he peeps and stands and falls asleep this way and keeps waking and peeping. The brooder is kept at a steady temp of 94-97. Is he hungry? He seems very loving and clingy and sees me and my DH and chirps for us Is he expecting to be fed? Can I make a mash out of the startena as well or should I just try the egg and crumbles switcharoo? Does he have cochsi? I recv'd vitamins and electroltye powder for the water when I raised my last chicks thats so to prevent it along with the medicated starter is this not good? I wouldn't have taken him if I had known he was only a few hours old. One more last question...if he lives and grows will he end up with blackhead?
Thank you so much for your detailed advice and patience. I swear I am not deliberately trying to kill this sweet young poult. I would give anything if a turkey person would drop through my roof for a 30 minute observe and ask questions segment.
Thank you and any help anyone can give is also much appreciated. Thanks Zatsdeb for the reminder about warmth it's at 95-97 now.

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

I worked for a wildlife rehab place and they used that mixture to perk up baby owls so I didn't think I would hurt him. I'm sorry if I did. He did become more energetic and he is now eating some of his startena but it doesn't seem like a it's very much.

If it works then it works, just never heard of that before.

What is ACV?? Where do I get it?

Just abbreviation for Apple Cider Vinegar

Is he hungry?

If you have food sprinkled on the ground near the feeder he should find it no problems.

He seems very loving and clingy and sees me and my DH and chirps for us Is he expecting to be fed?

No just wants attention. He thinks you are his mom.

Can I make a mash out of the startena as well or should I just try the egg and crumbles switcharoo?

It should be already a crumble ?? I would just put some crushed egg in with the food on the floor near the feeder if he eats the egg he'll start eating everything else around, he probably just doesn't feel good enough to eat alot.

Does he have cochsi?

No too young, unless you have older birds in the brooder and or never cleaned it from the last batch

I recv'd vitamins and electroltye powder for the water when I raised my last chicks thats so to prevent it along with the medicated starter is this not good?

No that would be fine.

I wouldn't have taken him if I had known he was only a few hours old.

That would be all you can get at most hatcheries.

This is why we keep all poults till they are a 1 week to 2 weeks old. By then they are strong enough that they will survive most of the time unless human error.

One more last question...if he lives and grows will he end up with blackhead?

Not unless it is common in your area, plus the chickens he would have contact with would have to be on the ground and eating earthworms to be able to contract the disease to begin with, so if everybody is in a brooder then u have nothing to worry about till he is older living outside on the ground.

I would give anything if a turkey person would drop through my roof for a 30 minute observe and ask questions segment.

Well can not drop thru your roof or even come over but am willing to help in any manner possible.

Most of the time it is due to a weak poult hatching times and stress and other factors that are really not in your hands. If you start with good healthy poults and give them what they need then most of the time have no problems.

Hope any of this helps you and your new little friend out tonight.​

 

[lcourtaway]

Dear Harps Turkey Ranch,
Sorry I have not responded quickly but I have been following your instructions and I am TOTALLY THRILLED to be able to say that my little poult is doing much better. I added your prescribed recipe to the drinking water and I took away the egg yolks. I fed him a few feedings of ground up turkey crumbles and warm water with a syringe because he was too weak to eat any other way. I just bypassed the whole swallowing thing and sent it straight to his lower throat. When he became less lethargic and could swallow again (about 8 hours and four feedings later) I mixed the turkey startena crumbles with warm water and he ate clumps of it off my finger. His poop became more and more normal and today is perfect. I fed him every two hours all yesterday evening and today and now he is eating his crumbles on his own out of the feeder. He is active and he has started preening and stretching and he is alert and awake so much more of the time.
I was thrilled to hear from you that the peeping was he thinks I his mom! Aww!
He loves to nap under my neck after eating and he snuggles in trying to burrow under anything, me, the blanket, the other chicks!
I cannot tell you how important your advice and concern was. Thank you for responding and for taking the time (I'm sure with a Turkey Ranch you have a lot to do) to answer all of my questions. I hope you will allow me to ask more questions of you in the future.
Thank you again.
Lori