1 week old BBB, and already had to cull one :(

[rajzwaibel]

For the first week we had them, the 10 BBB turkeys were doing well. Then last night one was dead, and this morning another two were dead. Heat was good, food and water were good.

This afternoon I think I found the culprit. One of them was going around pecking at the bottoms of all the other ones. Close inspection revealed one of them was bleeding at the bottom, and the one that was going around pecking had old dried blood on his/her beak. This was the only turkey that was pecking. I'm guessing he/she pecked the other ones until they were hurt so bad they died. Because I can't think of any other reason why I would have lost 3 of them.

So I had to cull it. Now down 4 turkeys out of the 10. I hope that's all that goes.

 

[FarmTillURdead]

I hope I can help!

Bleeding bottoms are a sign of Coccidiosis. Especially if the bottom looks swollen and poofy but raw in the center. They don't pick for no reason. They have to see something to pick at and if it was poo it would come off or feathers would get pulled out. If you don't want to lose more treat them all for it. Pecking spreads these one cell parasites. (I went through this too and lost birds thinking it was butt pecking). If you look you will see white flecky poo parts on the outside edge of the bottom. It's because the stool went runny and then the bottom got swollen - then pecking started.
You didn't do anything wrong!
This variety is very susceptable to them due to them being bred to have thin intestinal walls to absorb food nutrients to gain weight. So they get infected quick! They also have poor immune systems because they do not breed through natural selection but are artificially inseminated. Mother nature hasn't had a chance to weed out the weak ones.
Get a good medicated chick food or medicate the water. If you want to go all natural you need a good pro-biotic. Pro-bios comes in a tube and can be blended in water. Don't over-do it. Some is better than none. I use homemade raw goat milk yogurt and keifer and I still lose a few.
It's a tough breed for me without medicines. I have much better luck with the heritage birds - but the carcass isn't as pretty unless you stuff the snot out of it.
I hope I can help save a few of your birds - pecking is always a problem with turkeys but not usually in the pooper unless something else is wrong.
I suffer through a few each year to get a "pretty" Christmas turkey on the table.

But we live off the heritage birds. I find them (for me!) to be healthier and more of a sure thing.