A turkey poult is a young turkey under 4 weeks old. Also known as a chick or hatchling, poults require special care and attention in their early weeks to grow into healthy adult turkeys. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about caring for turkey poults, from setting up the brooder to feeding, watering and keeping them warm.
What is a Poult?
A poult is simply a baby turkey under 4 weeks old The term can apply to any baby fowl but most commonly refers to turkeys Poults hatch from eggs just like baby chickens do.
Newly hatched poults have soft fuzzy down covering their bodies and are unable to regulate their own body temperature. They grow quickly doubling their hatch weight in just a week. Their feathers start growing around 2-3 weeks and by 4 weeks old they are fully feathered.
Setting Up the Brooder
Poults need to live in a heated brooder for the first 4-8 weeks of life. The brooder keeps them contained, dry, clean and warm while mimicking the environment of the nest.
You can purchase a brooder or make your own from materials like wood, wire mesh and metal. Elevate the brooder at least a few feet off the ground to prevent drafts.
The recommended brooder temperature is 95-100°F for newly hatched poults. Reduce the temperature by 5°F each week until fully feathered. Place a thermometer at poult height to monitor.
Brooder Bedding
Soft wood shavings like pine are ideal for brooder bedding. The shavings insulate and absorb moisture to keep poults warm and dry.
After 3-4 weeks, you can transition to sand bedding. Sand is easy to clean and cheap, though harder for young poults to walk on. Spot clean the brooder daily and change all the bedding weekly.
Feeding and Watering
Poults need a high protein feed with at least 28% protein, higher than chick starter. This supports their rapid growth. After 12 weeks, turkey feed can drop to 20% protein.
Use special poult feeders and waterers designed to minimize waste and prevent drowning. Hang or elevate both to deter contamination from bedding.
Refresh food and water daily. Gently dip each poult’s beak in the water when they first arrive to show them where to drink. Poults are prone to dehydration.
Heating
Poults need supplemental heat from a brooder lamp for at least the first 4 weeks. Ideal brooder temperature is 95-100°F for week one, dropping 5°F each week.
Watch poult behavior near the lamp. Huddling indicates they are too cold, dispersing away means they are too hot. By 4-8 weeks, poults should be fully feathered and hardy enough to go without heat.
Preventing Health Issues
Poults are susceptible to chilling, drafts and respiratory illness in their early weeks. Strict sanitation and a well-managed brooder environment are essential to keeping poults healthy.
Isolate new poults from adult turkeys and chickens, as they lack immunity. Limit brooder access and monitor for signs of sickness. Ensure bedding stays clean and dry.
Gently encourage timid or weak poults to eat and drink to prevent dehydration and malnutrition. Dip their beaks in water, tap the feeders to stimulate eating, and limit poult numbers to ensure everyone is getting enough.
Moving Outdoors
Once poults are 4-8 weeks old and fully feathered, they can move outdoors to a coop and run. Acclimate them slowly at first, still providing heat lamps on colder nights.
Make sure their outdoor housing is predator-proof and that they have enough space to roost and move around comfortably. Provide food, water and areas for dust bathing.
Free ranging turkeys requires more land space than chickens. Supervise poults when ranging to protect from predators. Bring them in at night until big enough to roost safely in the coop.
Caring for poults takes work, especially in those critical early weeks. But with proper setup of their brooder, feeding, watering and heat, you can give your poults the best start at life. A well-managed brood will mature into healthy, hearty turkeys perfect for holiday feasting.
Key Facts About Turkey Poults:
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A poult is a baby turkey under 4 weeks old. They are also called chicks or hatchlings.
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Poults hatch from eggs and have soft downy feathers at first. They grow quickly and are fully feathered by 4 weeks.
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Poults need extra heat from a brooder lamp and special care for their first 4-8 weeks.
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Ideal brooder temperature is 95-100°F, reduced by 5°F each week.
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Use pine shavings for brooder bedding. Clean daily and replace weekly.
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Feed poults a 28% protein turkey starter feed. Prevent dehydration.
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Isolate poults from adult poultry to prevent disease. Maintain clean brooder.
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At 4-8 weeks, move to an outdoor coop once feathered. Provide heat on cold nights.
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Supervise free-ranging poults and house safely at night to protect from predators.
Raising healthy poults requires work but the reward is a hearty flock of turkeys for years to come. Follow these tips on housing, feeding, health and heat to get your poults off to the best start.
FAQ
Is a poult a baby turkey?
A baby turkey is called a poult. Did you know? A group of turkeys is called a flock.
What is the difference between a poult and a chick?
Young turkeys are called poults, not chicks, and there are a few important differences between poults and chicks. The first is that poults tend to be more fragile in their first few weeks of life than chicks, and it takes a little more effort to ensure that your poults have a healthy start in life.
What does poults mean in turkey?
Meaning of poult in English
a young chicken, turkey, or other bird that is kept for food: The turkeys produce an average of about 3.4 poults per hen.
How old is a poult turkey?
2-5 weeks old. Poults in this class have grown longer wing feathers, but still are mostly covered with downy feathers on their body and still lack long tail feathers.
What is a baby turkey Poult?
A poult is simply a baby turkey under 4 weeks old. The term can apply to any baby fowl but most commonly refers to turkeys. Poults hatch from eggs just like baby chickens do. Newly hatched poults have soft, fuzzy down covering their bodies and are unable to regulate their own body temperature.
What are the health benefits of ground turkey?
Ground turkey has multiple benefits. It is a good source of minerals, and B vitamins, rich in proteins, low in fat and it is lower in calories than common turkey.
How much do turkey poults weigh?
Turkey poults weigh in the neighborhood of six pounds. Bell & Evans is working with a breeder to make tiny turkeys that consumers will eat all year. Six-pound turkey poults are just turkeys.
Are turkey poults active?
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. It’s normal to see them going from sleeping for hours on end to having brief periods of play and activity. If your turkeys are sleeping, most likely they’re okay.
Are turkey poults better than chickens?
Raising turkey poults can be a challenge, but the resulting adult birds are a great reward. Adult turkeys are far more robust birds than chickens, but in their first few weeks of life, they are actually more fragile than the average chick and require more care.
Do turkey poults fall into water dishes?
This is trickier than it sounds since poults have a tendency to fall into their water dishes or even dump them all over their bedding. I prefer a hanging water dish that is easy for the poults to reach but elevated off the ground to keep it clean from wood chips and turkey poop.