A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[Molpet]

A thank you to BYC management for changing memphis' title to "RIP 1958-2020". Her birthday was August 7. She was a too young 62 at the time of her passing.

Appears they undid the RIP and dates

 

[aliciaplus3]

yo

Appears they undid the RIP and dates

no i see it when I go look at her profile

 

[Molpet]

yo

no i see it when I go look at her profile

Don't know where I was looking, I know I had seen it before and then I didn't, and now I do

 

[AltonaAcres]

Hey turkey peeps! I have a question for ya'll. I just got a new heritage tom and let's just say he's not the brightest. The first day he was here he didn't seem to be able to find food or water. That afternoon he seemed weak and sat down a lot. The next day I was able to separate him into a tiny pen to feed him and he ate. This morning he seemed to be finding food and water. How do I know if he's going downhill because he is starving or dehydrated?

 

[R2elk]

Appears they undid the RIP and dates

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I got the fabric today. The flowers are a bit smaller than I expected but it's still very pretty and I think very appropriate. Memphis would've loved it I think.

 

[Bantambird]

Hey turkey peeps! I have a question for ya'll. I just got a new heritage tom and let's just say he's not the brightest. The first day he was here he didn't seem to be able to find food or water. That afternoon he seemed weak and sat down a lot. The next day I was able to separate him into a tiny pen to feed him and he ate. This morning he seemed to be finding food and water. How do I know if he's going downhill because he is starving or dehydrated?

When you first get an adult bird, you need to have a quarantine area for them to a. Be sure to protect your flock in case of disease! And b. Give him a chance to acclimate to his new home. He will be a bit discombobulated as he adjusts to his new home. Turkeys are creatures of habit, and don't like or appreciate things they find out of the ordinary when they are upset, so give him time and keep him separate for at least a week so you can make sure he is healthy. Sometimes turkeys can be fussy about food if it's a food they haven't tried before, mine give me heck if it's a different treat or I wear wierd clothes or a hat or colorful shoes. I sure hear from them!
He may miss his old family, too. Turkeys can form very strong social bonds.

 

[R2elk]

He may miss his old family, too. Turkeys can form very strong social bonds.

Turkeys suffering from depression is a real thing.

 

[Bantambird]

Turkeys suffering from depression is a real thing.

Yeah I've gotten one who was suffering from severe depression due to lonliness, she was so thin when I got her she was like a feathered skeleton! Once she realized she wasn't alone anymore and that she had a family, she started eating and acting like a turkey again.

 

[Flashpoint]

Yeah I've gotten one who was suffering from severe depression due to lonliness, she was so thin when I got her she was like a feathered skeleton! Once she realized she wasn't alone anymore and that she had a family, she started eating and acting like a turkey again.

Not that this is at all related, but as something to think about.

I have a blue slate tom that was hatched approximately the 1st week of June 2000. It wasn't until last month that I noticed he was acting "odd" and I had started to think maybe he was a tad "slow" or maybe had a neurological problem. He was walking very slowly and taking very measured but hesitant steps before making any moves. The art of observance is not my strong point - but after another week, we determined he has gone blind.

My only guess is that because he has been in the same pen and run for the most of his life and I don't tend to change locations of where my water and food is located, he had either learned where they were and continued eating as normal as there is little difference between him and his siblings regarding weight and size. He may have also been slowly going blind all along and it just didn't become glaringly evident until it had progressed to almost total blindness.

The only thing I could find in trying to research the issue is that blindness (and esp in blue slates?) may be a direct result of excessive inbreeding.

In any event, now I just keep an eye on him, watch for situations where he might get in trouble (like finding him on a 4 x 4 post ramp at the very top end and where most of the other turkeys are using that spot as a launchpad) and making sure he is eating and drinking.

After having 3 years of absolutely nothing going wrong with the turkeys, this year has been a continuous and hard-driven learning curve - from rats that will kill turkeys, to seizures where Brandie died in my lap, and now this.