what am I doing wrong

[chickyboomboom1]

Hi I got 10 turkeys from coastle 3 days. Ago and 2 have died I have them in a brooder heat lamp food water ect.. im I missing something or did I just get bad chicks

 

[KrisH]

Hi I got 10 turkeys from coastle 3 days. Ago and 2 have died I have them in a brooder heat lamp food water ect.. im I missing something or did I just get bad chicks

game bird food? protien level? city water, well water or bottled water? what temperature is the brooder? no drafts, but they can get out of or into the heat as needed?

Turkeys can be tough to start, did you dip their beaks in the water, and/or add colorful marbles to encourage drinking? possibly put food on foil to encourage them to peck at the shiny stuff and accidentally discover the food.

a chicken chick, or guinea poult helps to show them what to do.

tell us more....

RobertH

 

[KrisH]

A friend of ours could not keep fish alive in her fish tank UNTIL she stopped using city water. Even dechlorinator, or letting water sit for a week to "air out" did not work. she switched to bottled SPRING water and has not had a problem since.

Sounds crazy, but it worked!

RobertH

 

[chickyboomboom1]

Its well water but I have 30 some chicks doing fine as well as lamb, pig, calf,cows,horse, dogs, fish, and a lizzred lol so tthink.the water is ok

Right know there just in a tub heat light on one side and thay can get out if thay need to get cool..temp 90 like my chicks
Feed is just chick starter feed coastal said that was ok for first few weeks
There not with the chicks because I was told they would pick on them?
There in a barn in a horse stall in there tub not to drafty

 

[chickyboomboom1]

There getting put into a bigger brooder tomorrow. ..
I have 15 meat chicks and 9 mix egg layers should I put them together

 

[KrisH]

we keep poults warmer for the first week, about 95. I believe a couple of chicks, or a bunch would help, poults need extra encourgement, and we have not had any pick on chicks, but we have had a chick pull off a poults snood. (a tom named "Snoodless")

just starting our 3rd year with turkeys, so i am still a noobie.

just my 2 cents

anyoue else????

RobertH

 

[Celie]

If the tub is porcelain, or made of similar material, it will draw heat from the poults and they might get cold. If they are bunched together, they are too cold! Also the meat chicks might get things too wet in with the poults, but the new layer chicks would be fine and help keep them warm. I would diffidently use the marbles and switch to Game bird started very soon. You could also add a hard boiled egg yolk, to boost the protein in the chic starter. I also start out at 95 degrees with a good thermometer at chick level and a hay mulch in the tub. I lower the temp about 5 degrees, every week as they grow. Make sure you put some sort of screen, chicken wire or hardware cloth over the tub to keep poults from breaking the lights when they start flying.

 

[chickyboomboom1]

Thank you... its not a actual tub
Its a plastic bin there not bunched together thay look comfortable know at 95 there spread around

 

[KrisH]

oh yeah, one more thing. we use paper towels and NOT shavings for the first week or so until we are sure they know what is edible. Then after a week or two, we switch to hay or shavings, etc.

Always use something with some texture to it to avoid slipping and leg problems.

RobertH

so, they are doing better?

 

[chickyboomboom1]

The 8 that are hear are doung grate moved into a bigger brooder with the chicks ..lost 2 I didnt realize there a little stuped gessing thay didnt get enough watter