week old poults pecking each other

[turkeychickinny]

i read that it's okay to give baby chicks popped popcorn to peck at in the brooder, is this ok for turkey poults too? mine are pecking at each other. They're about a week old. They have plenty of starter to eat, I just think they're bored or something...

 

[bryan99705]

They sound bored and cramped. I had to trim beaks and move them into the tween coop at 1 1/2 weeks due to pecking problems. After that no issues and they are growing like crazy

 

[ColbyNTX]

White light in your brooder can encourage this also!

 

[turkeychickinny]

THanks. This is a great forum, everyone is so knowledgable!

I read about the white light, and I think they were chilly anyway, so I switched to the infrared bulb. I had also thought the brooder box was too small that my husband put them in. guess I was right. I don't want to attempt to trim beaks right now. But if I move them out to the coop with the infrared and a bigger box this weekend, do you think that'll be allright? I think that is my husband's plan, although he's still finishing up the coop. Here in NY the nights are still cool, 40s & 50s, but they should be okay with the red light fairly close to the box. right?

 

[turkeychickinny]

P.S. Does anyone know abou tthe popcorn, in the meantime? THe pecking doesn't seem to be hurting them (yet), they are mostly pecking beak to beak. Think I can just give them some popcorn until the weekend?

 

[ColbyNTX]

I don't think the popcorn would hurt but not buttered and salted, just plain. Even with the 40's and 50's outside, they should be fine in a brooder that keeps them warm. My outside brooders are solid on 3 sides and top with wire only on one end. The cold drafts are killer on them. Just make sure it is warm enough. We are getting all the way down to like the upper 70's and lower 80's at night here in Texas!

 

[turkeychickinny]

No butter or salt, I have an air popper.

Thanks, this is the first response I've gotten about the popcorn. I wanted to try it but didn't dare with turkeys unless someone agreed. Their brooder will undoubtedly be a large cardboard box, closed on all 4 sides for the time being, then enventually in about 2 more weeks we'll just let them out into the coop at large, and still use the light at night. . It's about 10 x 10 with a fenced in yard we can let them into when the weather's good. This is what we've done with our barred rock chickens. They are dong great so far. They're about 5 weeks old now.

 

[turkeychickinny]

P.S. Our turkeys are Narragansetts, which we've not had before. How do you like yours? We had the broad-breasted whites years ago, nothing since until now. Our primary purpose is the freezer, but we may keep 3 or 4 over the winter if possible. Do you think they will be ready to butcher at Thanksgiving? The chickens are on the otherside of the house in a totally seperate location, BTW.

 

[ColbyNTX]

narragansettes are awesome turkeys! You will love them. No, they won't be ready for thanksgiving. They take 8-9 months to reach a good butchering age and 1 to 1 1/2 years is even better. If you try one at thanksgiving, you will have a carcus that looks like one of those little rubber naked chickens. They have much better flavor than the BBW's you had and not the problems you have with the BB's. It is worth the wait and keep some for breeding. The problem with heritage turkeys is that after you have raised them for a year they become a family member and are tough to kill!

 

[Pampered Hen]

The pecking you mentioned appears to be normal behavior. I have noticed this on birds I raised and poults raised naturally by their mother. I think it is plain instinctual behavior. If they were pecking each others toes, eyes and feathers you would have a problem (lack of proper nutrition and outside stimuli).
While raising poults in boxes, keep in mind that they become mobile very quickly and can hop and fly over a box within two weeks. Keep it covered with wire, not a cloth or other lid because you want to insure good ventilation.