Take turkey poults from mother at birth? Is this true?

[kuntrygirl]

Someone told me that I should take the turkey poults away from the mother when they are born because the mother will step on them and kill them. They said that after the turkey poults are strong enough to be with their mother, then you should put them back with her. Has anyone heard of this? Do you all take the poults away from their mother at birth? Have you had any problems with the mother stepping on the babies and killing them or injuring them?

I have noticed that the baby turkeys are not as strong as a chicken at birth. It takes them a few days to get their balance and get moving around. Anyone know why? Is it because they are heavier than chickens at birth?

 

[chickenlittle32]

Mothers are always best...I have 2 poults with their mom and boy is she great at her job! Doesn't allow anyone or anything too close to them! They are now 2 weeks old and growing fast.

The stability is a little harder for them because IMO, the longer legs, longer neck....gotta be hard to adjust with all that right away lol

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

When you are letting hen raise poults you will loose some that's a given. You can cut down the losses by taking the hen and the poults to a seperate pen away from everybody else but still you will loose some. If you don't have them in a covered pen and they get wet you can loose the whole bunch. If you take the poults away for a time and put them back the hen may or may not remember them and the poults may or may not remember the hens call. The longer they are apart the more chance they will forget each other. Like any other poultry some hens can hatch a clutch and do very well raising them and others not to so good. On a good note hen raised poults are more healthy and better adjusted than incubated poults, when we replace our breeds they are almost all hen raised.

I think it takes the poults longer to figure out how to use those long legs than chickens. Peafowl are like that to when just hatched they tend to be unsteady for a day or so.

Steve

 

[tassiejoe]

When you are letting hen raise poults you will loose some that's a given. You can cut down the losses by taking the hen and the poults to a seperate pen away from everybody else but still you will loose some. If you don't have them in a covered pen and they get wet you can loose the whole bunch. If you take the poults away for a time and put them back the hen may or may not remember them and the poults may or may not remember the hens call. The longer they are apart the more chance they will forget each other. Like any other poultry some hens can hatch a clutch and do very well raising them and others not to so good. On a good note hen raised poults are more healthy and better adjusted than incubated poults, when we replace our breeds they are almost all hen raised.

I think it takes the poults longer to figure out how to use those long legs than chickens. Peafowl are like that to when just hatched they tend to be unsteady for a day or so.

Steve

Hi steve.
Will a sitting hen turkey kill another's poults?

 

[R2elk]

Hi steve.
Will a sitting hen turkey kill another's poults?

It depends on the individual hen. Some hens will adopt any poults they can get while some will kill any that aren't theirs.

Don't expect a reply from @Steve_of_sandspoultry . He has not posted on BYC since 2011. The post you replied to is from 2010.