why do all my hatchling die?

[tanna15687]

I am haveing no luck what so ever with hatchlings they all die ...what could i be doing wrong?

 

[Marty1876]

Well, I guess a few qustions are in order. What variety? (chicken, quail, turkey, duck goose?) Do you change out water daily, and keep it full? What are you feeding? (no whole grains w/o grit, no greens the first week and only w/grit) Do you know what temperature your brooder is at? Is it meticulously cleaned between broods? If there was diesease, and you didin't bleach, you'll pass it on.....

When they hatch, I personally use disposable boxes, and use old rags and folded absorbant toweling for non-slip bedding. I use a 40 watt lightbulb for a box thats 16 x 16 appx. It is just inside, and I watch that they aren't either clumped under it (too cold) or pressed against the sides of the box (too hot). Clean feeders and waterers daily. Don't let them pick their own poo, change boxes and bedding as needed. Burn the old, or dispose of, so as not to spread illness.
Be sure your feed is unmediated with all but chickens.

 

[tanna15687]

They are turkeys yes clen water and brooder daily sometimes 2 xs a day I feed starter feed no diesease, I use white paper towels and 75 wat light bulb should i be feedin my adults anything speical while layin eggs ? both my adults are yr old maybe to young? ty for help..

 

[Marty1876]

Well, I will first tell you that turkeys are bloody hard. They just insist on dying. IF you raise 60% of your hatch, your not far off from the norm. I'm sorry. I've lost about as many as I 've saved some years. (like this one)

Turkeys won't lay until spring, but when they do, its ok to give them game bird starter for the protein during their lay season. It tends to be the same percentage as layena for chicken hens, but its got the added things for birds like turkeys, peafowl, quail, and pheasent.

Keep up the clean rituals, and maybe check with your thermometer to see what their internal brooder temp is running. You've got to keep them only under heat until they are feathered in summeritme. You start at 95* brooding, and go down 5*F per week, and just leave off week 4 when they are all feathered. In fact, I havn't used a heater except on cool nights for brooders since about June 15th.

 

[erinszoo]

I agree. Turkeys are bloody hard to keep alive as young ones. We started with 15 this year and ended up with 9 feathering out. We now have 6 but lost three due to predator attack, not just dying young. We lost two in the first 24 hours which we just put down to chick mortality rates. The other four were lost at between three and five weeks. They just stopped growing and layed down and died. I had someone tell me not to put them out on grass or dirt until they are at least 7 weeks old and next time I'm going to try that. Ending up with 6 out of 15 is an expensive loss let me tell you.