The second poults are positioned on the farm, their behaviors ought to be monitored and evaluated to make sure that they’ll develop to be wholesome grownup turkeys.
Whereas talking on the 2024 PEAK conference, Michele Behl, director of poult high quality for Choose Genetics, gave an outline of behaviors for turkey producers to evaluate throughout the first 12 hours of placement because the poults undergo their “settling in” course of.
How a lot are poults shifting?
“Shortly after you begin inserting them on the bottom, they ought to rise up and begin shifting round,” Behl stated. “They shouldn’t sit there and be torpid.”
If the birds are comfy and wholesome, they need to begin to develop into evenly distributing via the barn. They shouldn’t be staying in the identical spot the place they had been positioned. Likewise, they shouldn’t be “clumping up or piling collectively.”
If lethargy is noticed, it could possibly be a results of the poultry being hatched to late, or positioned too quickly after the hatch.
However Behl stated time is among the finest interventions for this form of conduct. Too many instances, producers have thought they had been torpid as a result of they had been chilly. Nevertheless, Behl stated in doing so, you might overheat the birds, which might trigger dehydration, ravenous or flipping over.
Whereas minimal motion is regarding, Behl stated it’s necessary to watch the poults to ensure they aren’t shifting an excessive amount of. If they’re operating, meaning they acquired cold and warm whereas being transported to the farm, and they’re operating as a result of they’re in search of a snug temperature.
She advises if the poults are operating, it is best to briefly increase the temperature within the barn and switch off the lights for a transient interval of about 15-20 minutes.
Consuming and feeding
If poults instantly run to the feeders and drinkers, that would be an indication that they had been both hatched too early or acquired too heat someplace throughout transport.
If that occurs, it’s particularly necessary to ensure each the feed traces and the drinkers are totally operational and accessible. It’s additionally a good suggestion so as to add extra feeders and drinkers.
“The worst factor that you are able to do is have a bunch of birds which can be thirst and hungry and so they go to the feeders to the place they’ll truly discover them, and so they’re dry,” she stated.
In the event that they don’t discover feed or water, they are going to be inclined to “give up,” and won’t have a future, she stated.
Flipovers
In the event you discover that poults are flipping over throughout the first 30-60 minutes of placement, that’s most probably an indication that the hen was taken out and in of its thermoneutral zone, or temperature vary wherein they really feel probably the most comfy, on a number of events.
If the poults get heat one time and are available again to the place they really feel comfy, normally flipovers don’t happen, she stated. The scenario ought to be the identical in the event that they get chilly after which return to a consolation degree.
But when they go out and in of their consolation a number of instances, that’s when they’re extra susceptible to flipping.
She stated if this occurs, nearly all of the poults can get well.
“A number of instances, they simply must be faraway from the warmth sources. You must take them out, take away them from beneath the warmers and transfer them to a cooler space,” she stated.
She additionally advisable inserting them on a non-slippery floor, and ensuring that when they’re moved, that they nonetheless have entry to feed and water.
