Urgent help needed!!!!

[Tiny1000]

Great news keep up the good work - let's hope it all goes well

[Bramble-Poultry]

i hatched a turkey chick out about 3 weeks ago. it caught itself on the shell and caused a massive bleed so we feared it was dead. left it in the incubator to keep warm, thinking it would pass away in a few minutes.

Its breathing got stronger, and it took some two days for it to finally struggle to its feet. The others jostled it around and it was a very clumsy chick. We feared it may have suffered brain damage due to the loss of blood as it was so clumsy walking into things etc.

But now, we cant tell them apart. it charges around the brooder like no tomorrow and is really graceful. There is always hope. If the little 'un doeant make it, then nature knows best and it will have had a very good reason to let this one go.

keep up the good work, keep us posted

[Hilary B]

i hatched a turkey chick out about 3 weeks ago. it caught itself on the shell and caused a massive bleed so we feared it was dead. left it in the incubator to keep warm, thinking it would pass away in a few minutes.

Its breathing got stronger, and it took some two days for it to finally struggle to its feet. The others jostled it around and it was a very clumsy chick. We feared it may have suffered brain damage due to the loss of blood as it was so clumsy walking into things etc.

But now, we cant tell them apart. it charges around the brooder like no tomorrow and is really graceful. There is always hope. If the little 'un doeant make it, then nature knows best and it will have had a very good reason to let this one go.

keep up the good work, keep us posted

Facetious thought, CAN a turkey suffer brain damage? Have tehy got enough brain to notice any difference????????
Any 'incandescent' light bulb (that's the old-fashioned sort the government want to phase out) will produce a useful bit of heat. Necessity being the mother of invention, a shade might be improvised to let most of the heat through while reducing the brightness (the red ones used for fires might be simpler, if you've got access to one).
My neighbour (who I bought my first turkeys from) used a 60W bulb, under a sort of arch over one end of a large cardboard box. The lamp was about 10 inches above 'floor' level, the box was about 14 inches by maybe 25 inches. Food and water dishes towards the cool end. The whole thing was kept in the house until they no longer needed heat.
Her chicks always seemed to do well.
She had a rather more sophisitcated brooder for the turkeys, but the improvised one was so the turkey poults could be kept away from chicks.

[HayleyB]

No tips but good luck.......

[Bramble-Poultry]

Got 100+ chicks here atm of variying ages and all of them are under "normal" bulbs, we use fireglows (the red ones) never had any problems, we put them in angle poise lamps. and clip them to the side of the brooders.

We have also used the rep heaters when we need extra but our reps are on ceramic so tend not to use them unless desperate.

Sherpa - you are doing great they are going to be just fine. On a longer term we use indoor rabbit hutches as brooders - may i suggest that you look online if you have a local "freecycle" group and put a wanted on there explaining what has happened - someone local might have a brooder, heat lamp or rabbit hutch that could help you out - even if only on loan.

Hilary - Turkeys are great! If a little "special"

[penny]

I have brooded chicks in a plant propogator before but usually use a nightlight bulb about 40watts hanging about 3 inches above the chicks with enough space for them to move away if too hot in a box or a circle of cardboard to stop the chicks moving too far. Goodluck.

[Nicos]

How are they today????

[sherpa]

Well lads and lassies,

All 6 of our little chicks are doing super! Even the little sick chick stuck in his shell, like bramble's turkey you couldn't spot her now (her.... positive thinking eh?).
All are eating, drinking, cleaning, themselves, we have 3 escape artists so some renovations had to be made. I have my bearded dragons old terrarium turned upside down, with a 50 watt infrared heat lap over head. At the moment, I have an old blanket cut into squares which I replace everyday. (for littlens they do poooo quite a lot) In a few days I will use straw or wood chippings, I just thought they wanted somewhere cosy to curl up. As they grow we will make something bigger and eventually move them outside and then try integrate them into the rest of flock, it's just they have no mammy to help them integrate so it'll be a slow process. I have never hand reared chicks before. I am lucky and every year 2 or 3 or my girls go broody, so they do all the work for me! It lovely to be able to observe them, you don't get to see them interact so much when under mammy. I have another mother hen on 5 eggs at the moment, due in a week and a half, so fingers crossed all works out for her.
When I get my camera sorted, I'll post some pics of our little fighters. Lets hope they are all female or they'll be Sunday roast in 5 months time!!lol Again , thanks for all the tips and encouragement. x

[MaureenHall]

I use a vivarium as a brooder box Good aren't they

[RichmondHens]

Great to hear the good news.

[smileyt]

Glad to hear your babies are OK!