There are few turkey-raising problems so important as brooding and
rearing the poults, because the greatest losses in turkey raising usually
occur in the first few weeks of the birds' lives. Heavy mortality among
the poults may indicate that the breeding stock used was low in vitality
or was poorly managed, but it more often indicates poor feeding or
management of the poults. The importance of keeping both the poults
and the breeding turkeys on ground free from infection and away from
chickens cannot be overemphasized. Improper brooding methods cause great
losses, because turkey poults are very susceptible to cold, dampness,
overcrowding, overheating, unsuitable feeds, and unsuitable litter, and
they succumb readily to attacks of diseases and parasites.