HELP with Turkey Hatchlings!

[WaffordFarm]

Our hen turkey has a nest of 14 eggs and 1 baby that hatched today, we do not know if we should leave them with their mom or put the babies in our brooder as they hatch??? Any advice would be appreciated! We want the babies to get a good start and to be healthy

THANKS!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It depends on what you want. Some turkey moms do well. I personally brood all mine. I can control things better and the poults bond to me and are less skiddish. It does require extra work on my part with moving them in and out daily and teaching them how to feed. With hen raised I believe you need to confine them for a few days to a few weeks in order for the poults to get strong enough to keep up with mom.

 

[BOrion]

My Rio Grande hen hatched 5 poults Wednesday evening. Up on two bales of hay inside a small barn. It is now Monday am. I have barricaded so babies don't fall out, but also put a ramp so she can get down and the babies can run around. She still won't lave the small 4x4 area and doesn't seem to be eating and drinking very little. I have seen the babies run and drink in ere little area. Am I just being impatient? My chicks hatch at about the same time are outside and running all around. Do the poults mature a little slower? Thanks

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Poults are nothing like chicks at hatch. They are clumsy for about a week or two, they need more heat and also need to be taught to eat and drink. Chicks work totally off of instinct, poults are learners. You could scramble some eggs or wet down some feed to encourage eating. Remove after about an hour or so. You don't want it to get spoiled. Poults are fragile initially but after about a month become more hardy, so don't rush it.

 

[BOrion]

Poults are nothing like chicks at hatch. They are clumsy for about a week or two, they need more heat and also need to be taught to eat and drink. Chicks work totally off of instinct, poults are learners. You could scramble some eggs or wet down some feed to encourage eating. Remove after about an hour or so. You don't want it to get spoiled. Poults are fragile initially but after about a month become more hardy, so don't rush it.

Thank you. I should have mentioned these babies were hatched and are being hen raised. Later this morning when I checked the family was off the hay bales. I had left the little door open for them and one baby was out and obviously lost. I think I will keep them locked inside for several more days. Mama has taught them to eat and drink. I am constantly amazed at the difference between chickens and turkeys.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You did mention that there was a hen involved, she must be a good mom. I keep my chicken hen with chicks confined for about two weeks, I would with a turkey hen too. That's about how long it takes for them to be able to keep up and hopefully have the sense not to wander off. I brood all my poult as my experiences with a turkey hen doing it wasn't all that good for me. Hopefully yours all do fine.

 

[BOrion]

Interesting side note...spoke with my friend who had a chicken hen hatch two of my eggs and a turkey hen hatch two. Both within a day of each other. She said the poults being raised by the chicken are much farther advanced than those of the turkey hen.