The Turkey Talk Show

What Are Your Poults Telling You?

Episode Summary

“It's the beginning of another school year, and for a lot of us, that means thinking about first starts — kindergarten, new teachers, new classrooms. My daughter is starting her senior year, which has me thinking a lot about how much can happen after that very first day. And it got me thinking about another kind of first start... those first few days of a turkey poult's life.” “Those first few days can make a pretty big difference, too. So today we're talking about what growers are seeing in those first days, what those poults may be telling us, and what we can do to help them get off to the best possible start.” NTF's Dale Nellor and Addison Murtha join us for an update on happenings in Washington DC and across the turkey industry.

Episode Notes

The first few days of a turkey poult's life can set the tone for the entire flock. From hyperactive "rammy" poults to lethargic birds, dry poults, green poults, flippers and tippers, growers are constantly reading the behavior of their birds and making management decisions.

In Episode 61 of The Turkey Talk Show, Sheila and Gretta are joined by Dr. Evan VanBeusekom and Keith Wingert of Hybrid to take a closer look at poult behavior, early challenges and what turkey growers can do to give their birds the best possible start.

The conversation covers what different poult behaviors can tell a grower about the birds' environment, health and access to feed and water. They discuss hyperactive or "rammy" poults, excessive vocalization, lethargic birds, early production poults, dry poults and green poults — along with practical management strategies for each situation.

The discussion also dives into dehydration, physical defects, navel and yolk sac concerns, leg and foot issues, flip-over and tip-over poults, and how hospital pens can be used to give compromised birds a better chance.

Another important theme throughout the conversation is preparation and communication. How can growers prepare for different poult quality scenarios before the birds arrive? What information should the hatchery communicate to the grower? And what feedback should growers provide back to the hatchery?

Because every farm is different, the goal isn't necessarily to follow someone else's brooding program. It's about understanding what the birds are telling you and making the management decisions that work best for your farm.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Hyperactive or "rammy" poults and how to encourage birds to slow down, eat, drink and rest
• What excessive vocalization can tell growers about their poults
• Lethargic poults and ways to encourage movement and feed and water intake
• Challenges with early production (EP) or early week-of-lay poults
• How to recognize and manage dry poults
• Green or same-day hatch poults and considerations when they arrive at the farm
• Early hydration and preparing for potential dehydration
• Navel, yolk sac, leg and foot issues
• Flip-over, tip-over and "flipper" poults
• Hospital pen setup and management
• Preparing the barn for different poult quality scenarios
• Temperature, floor temperature, ventilation, drafts and lighting
• Using bird behavior and location in the barn as clues to environmental conditions
• The importance of hatchery-to-grower communication
• What growers should communicate back to the hatchery
• Using quality feedback and trends to support continuous improvement

NTF Update

Sheila and Gretta also catch up with Addison Murtha and Dale Nellor of the National Turkey Federation for an update on what's happening in Washington, D.C., and across the turkey industry.

The conversation touches on:

• What is keeping the National Turkey Federation busy right now
• Issues turkey farmers across the country should have on their radar
• Tariffs and what they could mean for poults coming from Canadian hatcheries
• The Farm Bill
• The upcoming election season and what turkey farmers should be asking candidates
• What's happening in Washington as we head into fall
• The upcoming NTF Leadership Conference and what attendees can expect

From the barn to Washington, D.C., this episode covers both the day-to-day challenges of getting poults off to a strong start and the bigger issues impacting turkey producers across the country.

Takeaway

Whether you're walking through a barn, preparing for poult placement or trying to keep up with what's happening in Washington, staying informed matters.

Pay attention to the birds, communicate with your hatchery and veterinarian, and be prepared to adjust your management based on what the flock is telling you.

As always, share this episode with another turkey farmer and follow The Turkey Talk Show on Facebook and LinkedIn.