Old wives tales and mis-information about turkeys - especially the heritage breeds - abounds -and like other myths gets passed from human generation to human generation with little scrutiny apparently because it is easier to accept the myth rather than engage in the work necessary to discern the truth.
Turkeys are every bit as bright as chickens.
In any given population of artificially incubated new hatchlings whose parents were properly fed -just as many chicks "can't find the water..." as poults.
In all the domesticated precocious birds (the Galliformes) in wild, semi-wild or "natural" conditions of hatching the adult bird actually instructs the hatchlings with regard to water and feed. This instruction is accomplished by various distinct songs, posture and behaviour.
As the chick/poult successfully imitates the adult it is "rewarded" by having eaten or drank and by another distinct song from the adult. The "here's water" songs and auditory reinforcements of successful "sipping" continue with both species for 3 -5 days.
The "here's food" songs continue with almost 100% frequency until about 7-9 weeks for both species then the frequency of the adult calls drops quite rapidly as apparently the hatchlings have learned most, if not all, there is to know about what is and isn't food.
Obviously in the instance of birds artificially incubated and brooded there is no adult to do the instructing. Left too their own devices newly hatched birds imprint on previously hatched (older) chicks/poults; as they stumble around the brooder they find water and feed and the younger chicks/poults imitate the older.
It is always good practice for a chick/poult keeper to take the place of the hen and "show" each hatchling in the brooder there is water available by dipping the bird's beak into the water being careful to not submerge the nares. Chick's/poult's response to the wetting of the beak will be automatic in that it will throw its' head back and swallow the droplet - thus it shouldn't be held so tightly as to prevent these actions.
Happy Chicken Keeping.
David Sullenberger, Poultry Biologist
a.k.a. ProfessorChicken
__._,_.___
To post a message to the list go to
CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com
CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com
.
__,_._,___
No comments:
Post a Comment