Turkey poults: feeding and caring for them

Breeding turkeys is an incredibly exciting activity that will give you pleasure and good mood. These tips will dispel your doubts and fears in the desire to do this business.

Turkey poults: feeding and caring for them

Turkey poults: feeding and caring for them

Description of chicks

Buying one-day turkeys is certainly an economical option, but also quite a complicated one. Such small turkey poults are very sensitive and painful, therefore, in order to avoid the death of chicks, it is important to pay attention to their physical condition, to observe the appropriate conditions of keeping and nutrition, which will be discussed later. Day old chicks digest food very poorly, are prone to hypothermia, overheating and are very shy, you need to be very careful with them. Therefore, buying turkeys at the age of 6-7 weeks is the best option. These chicks are already more stable and much easier to adapt to new living conditions.

Turkey poults sleep a lot, and in short periods of wakefulness they are very active. Males are usually bolder than females, they are the first to stand up and approach the food. If the bird is inactive, you need to pay attention to this and check whether it drinks and eats enough. Also, the cause of excessive drowsiness of chicks can be various diseases that turkey poults are especially susceptible to at an early age.

In general, watching the transformation of small turkeys into adult birds is an incredibly interesting and exciting experience. They are very sociable, inquisitive, and many of their actions will make you smile or even laugh.

Turkey poults: feeding and caring for them

Turkey poults: feeding and caring for them

Content methods

Brooders and cages

You need to prepare carefully and in advance for the appearance of chicks on the farm. It is necessary to organize a place for them, which should be spacious, dry, warm (25-28 ° C), ventilated, but without drafts. In the first weeks of life, the chicks sleep tightly pressed against each other in a small area, so you should pay special attention to their “bed”. Wood shavings can be used as bedding, and when the turkeys are 3 weeks old, sand can be used. It is easy to dispose and change.

Turkey poults: feeding and caring for them

In addition to this, it is important to properly organize feeding and water supply. Brooders are used for transplanting newborn turkeys. They are made in the form of cells in which the temperature regime, air humidity and lighting are automatically regulated. It’s like a substitute for a mother hen. The cell can be single-tiered and multi-tiered. On the upper shelves are young chicks, and on the lower shelves are older ones.

There are a few things that are important to pay attention to as soon as turkeys appear on your farm. After transportation, carefully inspect each of them, because transportation can be traumatic for them, moreover, it is a strong stress for birds, and even more so for small chicks. Further, in order for the chicks to remember where their drinker is, bring each of them to the drinker and give them a drink, lowering their beak into the water. Since transportation is a lot of stress, you should carefully monitor their appetite and condition for two weeks to avoid losses.

So that the turkey poults do not injure each other, it is worth taking care of smoothing the corners of the turkey house, which contribute to the accumulation and crush of birds. In order for the poults to stay close to the feeders and drinkers, it is advisable to create a round pen around them, placing food and water in the center. In the future, it will be possible to expand it as the chicks grow up, giving them more free space for movement. You will also need to hang a heat source in the cage in order to keep the chicks safe. It is very important to ensure that it is at a small distance from the place of lodging for the night. In the future, when there is a need to cool the room, it is important to do it gradually, raising the heat source by several centimeters every day and lowering the temperature by several degrees.

Turkey poults: feeding and caring for them

Feeders and drinkers

The cage should contain more than one drinker and feeder in different parts of it. In order for all birds to have equal access to food and water, it is worth placing them evenly over the entire area. The water should be kept in a container with a narrow opening to prevent the chicks’ feathers from getting wet, as this can lead to hypothermia. The chicks are not yet able to eat properly, so you need to prevent bedding from getting into the feeder.

To do this, you can use a newspaper or protect the feeder with boards or cardboard.

Unlimited walking

Turkeys take some time to develop their immune system, so it’s a good idea to limit walking for the first eight weeks. Later, you can fence off the area adjacent to the closed cage, leaving them the opportunity to go outside. This will leave the chicks with a safe and warm place to which they can return when needed. Gradually, they will begin to go outside, and their curiosity should be encouraged. To do this, you can place half of the drinkers and feeders outside. Soon, the chicks will begin to spend most of their waking hours outside, and then stay there overnight.

Turkey poults: feeding and caring for them

outdoor

Most often, turkeys are kept on the floor, while the area of ​​uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe room is calculated based on age:

  • chicks up to 2 months old – populate 10 turkey poults per 1 m²;
  • up to 4 months – 6 individuals per 1 m²;
  • older than 4 months – 2 heads per 1 m².

Mesh floors

This is a type of floor that is made of galvanized mesh made of 2 mm rods. The cells are small in size. The mesh is stretched on a frame, which is placed half a meter from the ground. The frame is made of wood or metal. Further, a reinforced film is fixed on top of the cage. This type of cage allows you to increase the number of individuals per unit area (up to 20-40 chicks up to 2 months per 1 m²) and increase the comfort of keeping chicks.

Straw, wood shavings or sawdust can serve as bedding material. They must be dry, clean and not moldy. After three weeks of use, the bedding must be changed, as it accumulates microflora that converts uric acid into ammonia, which has irritating properties. If this is not done, then your chicks may get sick. Now there are already chemical additives that can be used to neutralize the negative effects of ammonia by adding them to the bedding material.

When choosing a room for adult turkeys, it is important to remember that although they are more resistant to cold, they are still sensitive to moisture and drafts. Such premises must be built on dry ground, they must be airtight so as not to let rain and wind through. All this will ensure the safety of your pets.

Turkey cages can be placed inside the building or outside, under the wall of the building. This will create additional convenience for their relocation to the street.

Turkey poults: feeding and caring for them

Turkey poults: feeding and caring for them

Temperature and light conditions

Before accepting turkeys into your household, you should prepare everything. You must have a warm place. If it is too cold, then the chicks will huddle under the heat source, and this can injure them. A thermometer is, of course, a useful tool for determining the right temperature, but it is much more important to pay attention to their behavior and condition.

In order for the poults to get used to normal outdoor temperatures as they grow older, it is necessary to raise the heat lamp a few centimeters every week until the temperature in the cage is the same as outdoors or the turkeys are 6 weeks old.

Feeders and drinkers must be properly placed in the cage. They should not be placed directly under the lamp, and also very far from it. Feeders and drinkers should be placed so that the chicks can easily reach them, and during feeding they do not overcool or overheat. Turkey poults also need a lot of light. For the first week, keep a 100-watt lamp in the cage so that the chicks can find food and water.

Light stimulates the thymus gland in chicks, which causes the production of hormones that promote good health and proper growth in young birds.

Turkey poults: feeding and caring for them

Turkey poults: feeding and caring for them

How to walk turkeys?

Turkeys have weak immunity, so they need to be accustomed to the effects of external temperatures gradually. By three weeks, in sunny weather, they can be taken outside, but so that the direct rays of the sun do not fall on them, you can go under the porch or canopy. On cold and rainy days, turkey poults should not be let out of an enclosed space at all, they can get wet and become cold.

Before transferring chicks to adult turkeys outside, make sure they are 8 weeks old and fully feathered. Let them go outside, but don’t remove the lamp from the cage for another week or two, and it’s especially important that they have access to a warm room at night. After the poults are finally moved outside, check them every few hours at night for several days to make sure they are not cold.

Turkey poults: feeding and caring for them

Turkey poults: feeding and caring for them

Proper feeding

Food for animals should be as close to natural and natural as possible. This method significantly increases the time to reach the desired weight of the bird and improves the quality and taste of the resulting meat.

Turkey meat fed with natural products becomes more nutritious, healthy and contains less water, and without antibiotics and hormones, it does not have any side effects when consumed. Also, the meat has a bright taste and anti-allergic effect. Turkeys that are raised on poultry farms are usually fed pelleted feed with the addition of hormones and antibiotics. They rarely have access to natural food, as their diet already includes animal and vegetable protein supplements and micronutrients. Therefore, growing ideas at home is more useful.

As you know, the main food base of agricultural turkeys are cereals – wheat, barley, corn, as well as potatoes, fruits and vegetables. A large amount of green food (various types of plants, herbs and perennials) as well as foods containing animal protein (larvae, insects and small vertebrates) are absolutely essential in the bird’s digestive process. The more varied the diet, the better the health of your pets. Birds that eat properly have long, shiny feathers, strong builds, and lots of energy.

The type of feed to use depends on the age of the animals. In the first period of life, up to 3 months, chickens need to be given food bought in a specialized store. Usually these are balanced ready-made mixtures containing the necessary trace elements and vitamins. It is important that the mixture is as loose as possible.

Turkeys prefer to peck at crushed pieces of solid food, so ingredients such as crushed corn and wheat kernels can be added.

One of the best compound feeds is Purina. These feeds contribute to the rapid growth and good weight gain of birds, the development of healthy individuals. They contain probiotics that suppress pathogenic microflora.

You can also cook your own food. It will be, for example, pasta with apples and pumpkin, mashed corn or barley porridge mixed with herbs and wheat. In addition to food intended for young farm turkeys, chicks can also receive a mixture of chopped yarrow, oatmeal, ground corn and white cheese. In the third week of life, you can replace the yarrow with nettle or clover, which contain much more protein. Also, young turkeys can be given chopped boiled eggs. The use of balanced feed in the first weeks of life of chicks significantly reduces the risk of disease and mortality among chicks. If their diet lacks a sufficient amount of protein, useful trace elements and vitamins, this can lead to lethargy and drowsiness, and later to the death of birds.

There are many types of poultry feeds (medicated, non-medicated, beginner) fortified with certain micronutrients. All this greatly complicates the choice of the buyer. Therefore, the main rule that you need to know in order to properly care for is that turkeys need more protein than other chicks. It is important to know that at the start of their lives, turkeys are prone to “starvation” – some of them will deliberately avoid food and bypass the feeder when they are really hungry. This can lead to the death of the chick. Therefore, during feeding, carefully monitor each bird. Also, cramped cages can indirectly affect exhaustion, so make sure there is enough space for the chicks. You will need at least 3×3 meters for a dozen turkey poults.

Turkey poults: feeding and caring for them

Turkey poults: feeding and caring for them

As they get bigger, they need more space, so you need to increase the area of ​​uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe cage.

During the first few days of the life of the chicks on the farm, you need to worry about the likelihood of dehydration, chilling birds, as well as the accumulation of wet debris. These are the problems that most often lead to poor health and death of birds. Dehydration is the number one killer in the first three days of life. The best prevention is to simply dip each chick’s beaks into the water when you place them in the cage. In this way, most chickens will learn to drink, and then they will teach the rest. Check poults every few hours for the first three days of life. If one of them seems lethargic, his beak should be re-dipped in the water to be sure that he is drinking. It is necessary to constantly observe the drinking regime and a balanced diet recommended for different age categories.

In the first weeks, chicks, through inattention, can eat wood chips or sawdust from the litter. To prevent this, it is recommended to place a newspaper under the feeders. Some use boards or cardboard. This prevents bedding material from getting into the feeder with food.

Two-month-old birds can already be fed a lower protein diet. The grains can be served with the same puree, but they should not be allowed to mix, because the chicks may choke. Oats and corn are excellent grains for turkeys. Oats help to strengthen bones, preventing their deformation, and also prevent feather loss. Corn has a large number of useful trace elements. Birds also need to walk a lot so they can get a taste of the wild and stay active and healthy.

Turkey poults: feeding and caring for them

Care instructions

Older chicks can be used as teachers for younger ones. They do not yet walk on the street, so they cannot infect the kids with anything. They can help curious poults know where to eat and where to drink. If you are raising several batches of turkeys of different ages, then those who are 2-3 weeks older can already act as teachers. One-day-old chicks perceive such teachers as mothers and try to follow their example.

Since poults cannot immediately eat as easily as adult birds, feed should first be placed in low, easily accessible containers.such as shoe box lids, egg cartons, paper plates, or even pie trays. Glass and marble containers are a great option for accustoming turkeys to feeders and drinkers. They can be placed in feeders and drinkers, as well as above them. Their shiny appearance will attract the attention of curious chicks. The marble should be removed when the chicks are 4-5 weeks old.

Crowding is a natural instinct for birds to huddle together, keep warm or feel safe. It also happens when the chicks are too cold or when they are frightened by strangers, dogs, predators, loud noises or bright clothes. Use boards or cardboard to “round” corners in the cage as part of preventing crowding. Rounded corners give fewer places for poults to get trapped. As a prophylactic, good lighting and heat lamps at the right temperature are helpful.

Turkey poults: feeding and caring for them

Turkey poults: feeding and caring for them

When the chicks are warm, light and comfortable, they will not gather in groups, but will actively walk and sleep well.

Starting from the first week, most chicks will try to fly. Therefore, it is worth using a low couch where they can climb. It also helps reduce crowding by reducing the number of birds on the floor at the same time. Such a couch can be a great place to sleep and relax. Make sure the heat lamp is not too close to it. Each bird needs 10 cm of space to sit. When the wing feathers begin to grow in the chicks, the perch should be gradually raised, a few centimeters each day.

When you start rearing turkeys, you will begin to notice that by the end of the first three weeks, they will quickly become large and strong. Be prepared to change their feeders and drinkers to more spacious ones and increase their number, because the needs of the chicks will also increase dramatically.

In general, the first three weeks of rearing turkeys are the most challenging and exciting. Make sure their feeders are not full and the food in them does not spoil. To do this, empty and fill them once, and preferably twice a day.

Monitoring the condition and health of birds is a key element of successful breeding. Keep a close eye on your pets and spend more time with them, studying their habits and habits. And they will make you happy.

Turkey poults: feeding and caring for them

Turkey poults: feeding and caring for them

In the next video, you will find a recipe for feeding turkeys under the age of 7 days.

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Anna Evans

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