Turkey Poults - 6 weeks

The turkey poults are 6 weeks old. Their surrogate mother, the Speckled Sussex is still with them. Although they are far too big to be brooded by her she is still very protective of them.

For now they are housed in the stable, they have a straw bale and an old apple branch to perch on and have plenty of room to scratch about and fly around. In the next couple of weeks they will venture outside into a sheltered grass area with shade from overhanging trees and with constant access to the stable. For their own safety they will be shut in the stable at night.

Previous years I have either bought in poults or hatched the eggs in an incubator, having a broody hen has certainly kept the young poults much calmer with no inclination to panic.

Of the six, five are Double Breasted Commercial Whites, the other a Bronze. I am unsure of their sex but have a feeling they are all female. As we only need four I think I may sell the remaining two soon, as poults for someone else to rear.