BBB vent pecking

[Cribbs74]

Hi all,

First time raising Turkeys... One of my BBB's has developed a nasty habit of vent pecking. I only have 3 and 2 are running scared. I just put them in a larger cage and raised my heat lamp to cool the temps. I am biying higher protein feed tonight and added a roost and threw in some mealworms and seed so they can forage a bit.

Any other ideas on how to curb this behavior? I really don't want to cull and waste that money. If I seperate the offender he carries on something awful. Not sure what caused the problem, but he is relentless.

 

[ivan3]

At this age all you can do is separate ASAP. If brooder is big enough, just use hardware cloth to create two brooders with line-of-sight (so offender doesn't squawk ceaselessly). However, if that's not possible work out putting together a temp. brooder.

I'd give it at least a week (probably 2) until I put `em together again - and I'd observe closely for any repeated picking - with enough protein, space should probably not recur.

 

[Cribbs74]

Thank you, I removed him yesterday. it will have to stay that way for a while.

I put him in with others this afternoon after a day break and after dressing the other two with no-pick and the little bugger went straight to the vent as soon as I set him in the cage and started pecking. I promptly pulled him back out. It's just plain weird if you ask me. He walks around like a perv looking up under the other birds backsides. Never had a problem with chickens. It's highly aggrevating to watch. If he wasn't worth more to me alive I would have culled him right then and there. I was that angry.

So, it's 2 weeks in the hole. I may try seperating the brooder so he can see what he is missing, I doubt his pea brain even understands what's going on anyway.

The one hen he really had a thing for is in a bad way, her vent is really swollen and bloody and she is having a hard time eliminating. I had to help her pass stool twice today. She is very lethargic and shakes and sleeps a lot. When she tries to poop she struggles and peeps loudly. She has a clear discharge and is almost in a pasty butt state. Hope she makes it, but I am having my doubts. I have applied vetricyn, but it's external and I think the problem is a little further inside her.

Ron

 

[ivan3]

Thank you, I removed him yesterday. it will have to stay that way for a while.

I put him in with others this afternoon after a day break and after dressing the other two with no-pick and the little bugger went straight to the vent as soon as I set him in the cage and started pecking. I promptly pulled him back out. It's just plain weird if you ask me. He walks around like a perv looking up under the other birds backsides. Never had a problem with chickens. It's highly aggrevating to watch. If he wasn't worth more to me alive I would have culled him right then and there. I was that angry.

So, it's 2 weeks in the hole. I may try seperating the brooder so he can see what he is missing, I doubt his pea brain even understands what's going on anyway.

The one hen he really had a thing for is in a bad way, her vent is really swollen and bloody and she is having a hard time eliminating. I had to help her pass stool twice today. She is very lethargic and shakes and sleeps a lot. When she tries to poop she struggles and peeps loudly. She has a clear discharge and is almost in a pasty butt state. Hope she makes it, but I am having my doubts. I have applied vetricyn, but it's external and I think the problem is a little further inside her.

Ron

Don''t know how old the female is (wt.) but that sounds like a systemic infection. Penicillin is usually available in the feedstores:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/585188/chicken-penicillin-dosage

In turkeys and chickens, both, just one tiny taste of blood can set them off (cannibals) and they usually get culled. Hoping the extended separation will kill the appetite for such.

Good luck with the female.