Care of turkey chicks in the first days after birth
In the first week, all facilities and conditions are ready for keeping turkey chicks. They come in special cardboard boxes and must be inserted under the mother device in the inner boundary of the cardboard wall. This operation is done carefully and takes enough time. The chickens are moved using two hands and should not be thrown under the machine all at once. It is recommended to count the chickens at this time and record the number of deaths. During the first week, the temperature of the peripheral part of the artificial mother device should be limited to 32 to 33 degrees, and the temperature of the surrounding environment should be controlled at 20 degrees several times a day, especially during the pregnancy week.
One of the important points in turkey breeding is to pay attention to the condition of the chicks in the first days after birth. Each bird’s chick has its own characteristics. It seems that the turkey chick does not have enough intelligence, some chicks cannot find the feeder and water. Some chicks cannot understand the warmth of the artificial mother and move away from it. Therefore, it is necessary for the breeder to be very careful especially on the first day of moving the chicks from the hatchery machine to the breeding hall. The chickens that we mentioned should be identified and helped. Otherwise, they will be wasted. To avoid such a situation, the following recommendations should be followed.
1- To prevent the chicks from spreading and away from the artificial mother device, be sure to use the chick guard.
2- The number of drinking troughs and feeders is sufficient and place them one in the middle.
3- Arrange for small light bulbs to completely illuminate the feeding and watering area.
4- Pour small pieces of shiny objects, such as red, yellow and green rosary seeds on the chickens’ feed to attract their attention to the feed (the size of these pieces should be so large that the chickens cannot swallow them. Meanwhile removed from the feeder after one or two days)
5- On the first day, pour some chicken manure outside and around the feeder.
6- If you see a chick standing in a fixed place and chirping, direct it under the artificial mother device and towards the waterer and feeder.
7- If you see a chicken standing in a fixed place and chirping with its eyes closed, make sure to force it to drink water. Then mark the chicken’s back with a magic pen (preferably blue) and monitor and help it repeatedly until it returns to normal.
8- If the chickens don’t have enough heat, they go towards each other, fall under each other and stop feeding. Pay special attention to the proper heat of the chickens.
By gaining experience and observing the condition of the chickens, a turkey breeder can understand with a simple glance whether the temperature under the device is suitable or not.
If the chicks tend to gather under the mother’s system and in the middle of it, this action indicates the cold. When they are away from the center of the device and are on the outer edge. It indicates excessive heat. When the chickens are evenly scattered under and around the device, it indicates a suitable environment and pleasant heat. In the first days, large pieces of cardboard or clean paper are placed on the bed near the mother’s device and some chicken manure is poured on them to acclimatize them. For every 100 pieces of chicken, two one-meter feeding troughs are meant to be placed one in the middle and evenly. At the entrance of the breeding hall, a suitable container containing an antiseptic solution (disinfection) should be placed in order to prevent pathogens from entering.
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