What kind of bedding do you use for baby turkeys?
Litter: The best bedding for turkeys is 2-3 inches of clean sand covering the floor. You may also use large wood shavings, straw or hay. Make sure the bedding is very dry before placing it in the brooder. Turn the bedding every few days to eliminate poult contact with their feces and add extra bedding when necessary.
What is the best bedding for turkeys?
Like all poultry, turkeys require a bedding material that is absorbent, comfortable, and of appropriate size. Wood shavings work best, but other acceptable materials include peanut hulls, corn cobs, and peat moss.
How old do baby turkeys have to be to go outside?
Make sure they are fully feathered and at least eight weeks old before moving poults to their new outdoor housing. You can give them access to outdoors but still provide the lamp at night for a week or two, and then finally move them to their new, grown-up turkey roosts and pen.
Can you use pine shavings for baby turkeys?
Buy good quality pine shavings, that are not adulterated with other woods and debris. Don’t use cedar shavings; even though they smell very nice to us, the cedar oil is very drying and can irritate and injure the chicks’ skin as well as their lungs as they breathe in that scent. Don’t use sawdust or wood chips.
How much room do turkey poults need?
0-8 weeks: 2-2.5 square feet per turkey. 8-16 weeks: 3-4 square feet per turkey. 16-20 weeks: 5-8 square feet per turkey.
When can you put turkey poults outside?
around 6-7 weeks
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.
When can I put my turkey poults outside?
Do baby turkeys sleep a lot?
If you’re used to raising chickens or ducks, watching turkey poults may startle you at first. 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.
Do baby turkeys need a heat lamp?
With day old turkeys (called poults) and chicks, they need to be kept in a warm brooder, at 95 degrees for the first week. We use a securely fastened heat lamp for every 25 birds. If they are warm enough, they will be spread out and look content. Lower watts may not be enough heat, and the red color calms the chicks.
How hot should a baby Turkey be?
Turkey poults love heat. They will be happiest if you keep their brooder temperature at 95-100 degrees for the first week, then lower the temperature by about 5 degrees per week until they are fully feathered, approximately 6-8 weeks old.
How long do turkey poults need heat?
The poults may need heat for up to six weeks of age. As the weeks progress, use common sense — if the weather is hot during the day, shut off the heat. If it cools down to the 30s and 40s at night, the birds will need extra heat. Always leave room for the poults to move away from the heat if it gets too hot.
When can turkey poults be put outside?
How do you keep baby turkeys in the brooder?
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.
What should you know when raising turkey poults?
Here’s what you should know when raising turkey poults: 1. The Brooder Is Important When raising chickens, you usually place them in a brooder under a heat lamp and let them do their thing until their adult feathers come in. Turkeys are different.
What is the best chicken feed for turkey poults?
Turkey poults require the most protein during the first eight weeks of life, making a whole grain feed (28% protein) the best option. However, a broiler chicken feed consisting of 23-24% protein is efficient. Between nine and 24 weeks, you can decrease to 18-20% protein or offer a fermented feed.
What do you feed a baby turkey with feathers?
Be sure to feed them grain and the high protein feed in 2 separate containers. Turkeys tend to toss the protein feed out trying to get to the grain. By separating them, it should help avoid waste. Oats is an excellent choice for grain because it helps with bone density and stops the turkeys from picking their feathers.