Table of Contents
CARE & FEEDING OF BABY TURKEYS Brooder. Keeping poults warm entails a brooder. Heat Source. For a small number of poults, a 100-150 watt hanging clamp-style work lamp is sufficient heat. Water. Fresh, clean water should be available to poults at all times. Food. General management and FAQs.
How do you take care of a baby turkey at home?
Keep them clean and dry. Pine shavings or rice hulls make good bedding. Never brood them on slick surfaces like newspaper. Never give a turkey poult cold water – cold water can be deadly to turkey poults.
Are baby turkeys hard to raise?
Turkeys are not that hard to raise, but they differ a bit from chickens in terms of what they need, and raising them from poults (baby turkeys) is more time- and energy-intensive than raising chickens from baby chicks.
At what age can baby turkeys go outside?
Most often poults will be fully feathered and will be ready to move into their outdoor housing around 6-7 weeks of age. But until they are fully feathered they need to be kept in a draft-free, temperature-controlled brooder space protected from predators and supplied with fresh food and water.
Do baby turkeys like to be held?
Turkeys are social animals and will become very attached to their people! However, most turkeys are generally docile, making them a good animal to be around children. Our turkey loves kids and she is usually the star of our farm with young visitors! She will sit down gently beside them and let them pet her for hours!Apr 16, 2020.
Do baby turkeys need water?
Baby turkey poults are like any other baby – they need fresh food and water, and to be kept clean and warm.
Do baby turkeys sleep a lot?
Chicks and ducklings can be somewhat active. Turkey poults are the opposite. They will sleep for the majority of the day, but when they’re awake, they’re lively.
Can you let turkeys free range?
It’s like free-ranging chickens. The free-ranging can give the birds access to natural vitamins and nutrients they need. But it isn’t enough to sustain them properly. Make sure you give your turkeys grain and grit along with their free ranging.
How do you keep a turkey poult alive?
To ensure poults remain close to heat, water, and food, restrict them to a smaller brooder space for a few days. A rafter of young turkeys can become confused in a large space. This can cause them to starve or catch a chill. To minimize workload, construct a brooder that will accommodate the growth of the young flock.
How long do baby turkeys stay with their mother?
The young, called poults, are able to fly in three or four weeks, but they stay with their mother up to four months.
Can turkey poults eat chick starter?
Use a chick starter or game bird starter for turkey poults. Protein should be at least 28 percent for this starter, and you can feed it for the first eight weeks. It should have at least 20 percent protein (higher than that required for chickens).
How do you raise a poult?
Raise the heat lamp a few inches each week (and lower the temperature roughly 5 degrees Fahrenheit) until the temperature in the brooder is 70 degrees. Maintain this level of heat until the poults are six weeks old. You also need to have feeders and waterers filled and placed properly.
What should you not feed turkeys?
Things That Are Toxic To Turkeys Blue-Green Algae. Botulism. Cantharidiasis (Blister Beetle Poisoning) Cedar. Hardware Disease. Lead Toxicity. Mycotoxins. Pesticides, Herbicides, And Rodenticides.
How do you introduce a turkey to a baby?
If going with a pureed approach, simply cook the turkey and puree it with some rice and veggies. When babies develop more hand control, they can start eating finger foods. Offer pea-sized pieces of soft foods like ground turkey and cooked veggies.
Can you crossbreed a chicken and a turkey?
Chicken and turkey hybrids There have been attempted crosses between domestic turkeys (Meleagris gallapavo) and chickens. According to Olsen, 23 hybrids were obtained from 302 embryos which resulted from 2,132 eggs. Dark Cornish cockerels and Rhode Island Red cockerels successfully fertilised turkey eggs.
Can you raise turkeys with chickens?
One of the main ways to keep turkeys healthy is too NOT raise chickens and turkeys together. When turkeys and chickens are raised together, turkeys run a high risk of contracting the disease histomoniasis, also known as blackhead.
What kind of treats do turkeys like?
Safe Treats For Turkeys Kale. Lettuces (avoid iceberg) Cabbage. Cucumber. Zucchini. Summer squash. Cooked sweet potato. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and cranberries.
Do baby turkeys need grit?
As turkeys have no teeth, turkey chicks will need chick-appropriate insoluble gritXSmall stones or sand swallowed by birds to help them digest food. to help them break down any food other than their starter food.
Can turkeys overheat?
Turkeys are generally most comfortable when temperatures range from 70-79° F (Anonymous, 2003). Feed intake and growth may be affected as temperatures rise above 80° F and temperatures exceeding 90° F, can result in heat exhaustion or heat prostration.
How do you brood a turkey poult?
Start and raise turkeys on litter, wire floor or slats. If poults will be started on litter, cover the brooding area with at least two inches of clean, dry, and absorbent litter material, such as pine wood shavings. Keep young poults warm. They are very sensitive to cold. Provide air flow.
