We have five black spanish 4 day old turkeys. They are eating and drinking and seem to have adjusted to their surroundings. However, we have lost one of them because the little guy flipped over on his back and died. Tonight, our daughter came up and told us that another one had flipped on his back, but she caught him in time.

The turkeys are in a cardboard box with a heat lamp in our basement. We have put wood shavings in the bottom of the box, and placed marbles in both their waterer and in their feed pan. They seem to be healthy and have no problems unless they end up on their back.

We have raised chickens for many years with no problems. We are stumped on what is causing the problem. Any suggestions?

Thanks so much.

-- Mary (smhamp@yahoo.com), April 13, 2002

Answers

Mary, try this site: http://www.animalnews.com/news/farm/turkeys.htm And then, go to www.poultryconnection, and click on LINKS INDEX, go to Game birds and then to Turkeys. There are several sites there to help you. Hope you solve this, it is scary isn't it when you don't know what is wrong? Good luck, LQ

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), April 14, 2002.

Mary, this is just something turkey poults do now and then. For whatever reason, if they get themselves on their backs it's difficult for them to right themselves. Then of course they get scared and stressed and can kick the bucket on you. This is part of the reason why turkey poults don't mail as well as chicks do, because they get jostled around and get tipped over and can't get up. Once they are a few days older they don't do this anymore.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), April 14, 2002.

Can you put them in a crate until they get adjusted? In a quiet dark area? Somewhere where they can't literally roll over and die?

-- BC (katnip364@aol.com), April 16, 2002.