Turkey Care
Turkeys may Figure 3 inches of feeder space and 2 inches of watering space per poult to begin with. Expand that as needed as they grow older. Occasionally, customers have problems getting their turkey poults to eat and drink. In the event you might have chicks the approximate age as your turkey poults, consider putting 4-6 of them in with the newly arrived turkeys. The chicks will lead the turkeys to feed and water. Remove the chicks from the turkeys after 3-4 days. Never cover the litter with paper of any kind. If you do cover with paper, this can lead to "leg spraddling" problems. Finally, it is best to keep turkeys and chickens separated during the growing period. If this is not done, turkeys can pickup "black head" from the older chicken droppings. If your turkeys pick up black head, mortality will result. SPECIAL NOTE:Start Turkeys at 100 degrees and decrease 5 degrees eacg week. Turkeys are very susceptible to cold, so be sure the brooder and bedding are warm when they arrive. Sometimes turkeys will not find food and water at time of arrival. If you have baby chicks that are 5-10 days old, you might consider putting 4-5 of them in with the newly arrived turkeys for 2-3 days. Be sure to take the chicks out when the turkeys have caught on, as there is potential for contracting blackhead disease from droppings. |