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On receiving your day old turkeys, it is critical that they be placed on clean, dry animal bedding such as wood shavings, diced paper or bagasse (crushed sugar cane pith) at least 2 inches deep. New bagasse should be 'seasoned' outdoors for several months to ensure that all residual sugar has been washed out or consumed by microbes, otherwise it might be contaminated with Aspergillosis fungi which can be fatal to baby chicks. Turkeys need special attention to bedding - flat sheets such as old feed bags or newspaper must not be used. Not only do they fail to absorb droppings, but the slippery surface causes 'straddled legs' which the turkeys have great difficulty recovering from and will become lame.
Water and feed are placed according to turkey volume, with 1 one-gallon water bottle and 1 feeder tray or some other shallow pan per 75 birds. Do not use open pans or trays for giving water to the turkeys as they will get wet, then huddle and trample one another. In pens with square corners, use card or wood to round off the corner and prevent the turkeys from bundling on one another and suffocating. They are extremely fragile in their early stages, and cannot survive excessively stressful situations such as trampling and bundling.
Heat Bulbs (1 per 300 turkey poults, suspended 18 inches above the litter) are also critical - these are special high wattage bulbs that provide heat to the poults at night or during cooler weather. Please note that regular household bulbs are inadequate for providing heat. Gas Brooders are another method of providing extra warmth, and can be used in combination with the heat bulbs. To assist in saving energy costs, curtains are a good complement to heat sources as they prevent wind draughts from creating chills, and help to retain the heat in the pen.
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Brooding Suggestions
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 Anflox - Antibiotic administered at 2 ml per gallon of drinking water for the 1st 3 days of brooding. Can be substituted with Neochlor for smaller volume of chicks.
 Vitalyte Plus - Vitamin mix, add 1 package to 100 gallons of water or ¼ teaspoon to a one gallon bottle. Vitalyte Plus can be mixed with Anflox, i.e. applied in the same drinking water. Use for the 1st 5 days of brooding, then again prior to any change of feed type.
 Vitamin E - Not always necessary, however if Vitamin E deficiency has been noticed in other chicks prior to placement of day old broilers, apply 3 oz (100 ml) of vitamin E liquid to 128 gallons of drinking water. (1 teaspoon to 5 gallons).
Recommended Feeding for Turkeys
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*Confirm with your feed manufacturer that any coccidiostat added to the feed is safe for turkeys
| 0-8 weeks old |
Broiler Starter |
| 8-16 weeks old |
Broiler Finisher |
| 16 weeks old to slaughter |
Growing Ration |
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