Blackhead Disease Monterey County?

[Nckyturkma]

Hello everyone. I just joined BYC. Anyone here live in Monterey County? I live in Prunedale very close to Aromas and San Juan Bautista. I have 3 laying hens that a friend gave us a month ago. We have a nice coop for them in the backyard with a run and let them free range every day for at least an hour or two in our yard (though our yard isn't even 1-acre). The day before we got the hens, I purchased 2 baby chicks (Easter eggers) and a bronze turkey poult. The turkey was an impulsive purchase because of how cute it was. It was to be kept along with the chickens as a pet. They are 4 weeks now and are all very bonded. I did not know about blackhead disease until I started reading up on raising turkeys after bringing them home. I would love to meet people raising poultry in my area...particularly any mixed flocks. I know it seems often frowned upon. I see some folks say it is fine for them and others say it should never be done. I tried calling the County Ag dept and UC extension to see if blackhead is prevalent here but did not get much help. I spoke to someone from the 4H dept and she said she did have a turkey die from the disease once when chickens got into its area. I don't know anyone else that raises turkeys and chickens. I am hoping to focus on cecal worm prevention in my chickens, natural methods of boosting the flocks immunity and resistance to disease ( I read a study where an herbal mixture reduced turkey poult mortality from blackhead from 50% to 20%- though i know it is often 70-80% fatal), and very good coop cleanliness, as well as keeping the grass short and possibly earthworm control? I can even make the turkey its own coop but it would still be in the same yard free ranging so that probably defeats the purpose. I am hoping to keep the poult in the brooder (we have a large tent set up in our house) until it is old enough to have a better chance at having a good immune system when it does go outside with the rest of the flock (someone recommended keeping it inside for 4 months!). Any advice? I am getting a lot of conflicting information. I would feel terrible exposing the turkey to a fatal disease. I am very attached to it and love it so much. Is it certain death? Thank you in advance!

 

[R2elk]

Blackhead (histomoniasis) references

Histomoniasis: Yellow Urate & Lethargy in Poult...

I read a study where an herbal mixture reduced turkey poult mortality from blackhead from 50% to 20%- though i know it is often 70-80% fatal

I am not aware of any such study and would be very leery of such claims.

You can check with any local veterinarians as well as your state veterinarian. If you have a local feed store (not a chain feed store) they will know which of their customers raise turkeys and may be able to put you in touch with them.

Your Bronze poult is most likely a Broad Breasted Bronze meant to be harvested by the time it is 6 months old. If not fed properly at this stage it can develop leg problems such as slipped tendon aka perosis.

@casportpony

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC. I'm in South Santa Clara County, and we have blackhead here, and I know a few people in San Benito & Monterey counties that have lost turkeys or peafowl to blackhead.

Blackhead can be treated if you start treatment soon enough. For treatment, I recommend:

• Metronidazole for the actual blackhead (histomoniasis) 23 mg per pound orally once a day for five days.
• Baytril (enrofloxacin) for the secondary E. coli infection that they always get. I give this by injection - 9.1 mg per pound once a day.
• Safeguard (fenbendazole) to treat the cecal worm.

You're lucky to live in Monterey County, you have access to an awesome avian vet.
http://www.aecvets.com/

• 459 Canyon Del Rey Blvd
• Del Rey Oaks, CA 93940

 

[Nckyturkma]

Welcome to BYC. I'm in South Santa Clara County, and we have blackhead here, and I know a few people in San Benito & Monterey counties that have lost turkeys or peafowl to blackhead.

Blackhead can be treated if you start treatment soon enough. For treatment, I recommend:

• Metronidazole for the actual blackhead (histomoniasis) 23 mg per pound orally once a day for five days.
• Baytril (enrofloxacin) for the secondary E. coli infection that they always get. I give this by injection - 9.1 mg per pound once a day.
• Safeguard (fenbendazole) to treat the cecal worm.

You're lucky to live in Monterey County, you have access to an awesome avian vet.
http://www.aecvets.com/

• 459 Canyon Del Rey Blvd
• Del Rey Oaks, CA 93940

Oh my gosh thank you so much for this response and for the contact for the vet...I did not know if there was such a vet around here! Thank you for the information as well. If our turkey did unfortunately get blackhead and we treated it, if it survived, would it then be immune or would it keep being infected?

 

[Nckyturkma]

Blackhead (histomoniasis) references

Histomoniasis: Yellow Urate & Lethargy in Poult...


I am not aware of any such study and would be very leery of such claims.

You can check with any local veterinarians as well as your state veterinarian. If you have a local feed store (not a chain feed store) they will know which of their customers raise turkeys and may be able to put you in touch with them.

Your Bronze poult is most likely a Broad Breasted Bronze meant to be harvested by the time it is 6 months old. If not fed properly at this stage it can develop leg problems such as slipped tendon aka perosis.

@casportpony

Thank you so much for this information. I believe it is a broad breasted because it was from a small feed store that i don't think would have heritage breeds, but the sign just said bronze turkey and I was stupid enough not to ask or know the difference. I wish it were not a bb because I am not raising it for meat, but as a pet, and i have now heard all kinds of terrible things about bb getting too big to move or having issues with their respiratory tracts or heart issues and just not living long in general. I have read a lot of conflicting information. Most resources say turkey poults need 28-30% protein and then can have the protein reduced when they are older. Other people told me they raise both poults and chicks on a 22-24% starter feed. I initially used a gamebird starter 24% for the first 2 weeks and now I am using a 22% starter feed because I read that with bb as pets that are not meant for meat this will be better for their longterm health. What do you think? I've also heard that making sure they get lots of exercise and limiting treats can keep them healthier for longer. What do I do?

The study was a peer-reviewed experiment. I only read the abstract. It was a combination of anti-viral/bacterial compounds from herbs (cinnamon, garlic etc) that had some good results in the experiment if given in food and water prior to exposure to the blackhead protozoa. I thought giving some of these supplements in food might not hurt?

 

[casportpony]

Oh my gosh thank you so much for this response and for the contact for the vet...I did not know if there was such a vet around here! Thank you for the information as well. If our turkey did unfortunately get blackhead and we treated it, if it survived, would it then be immune or would it keep being infected?

I don't know about immunity, but it's been my experience that they don't usually get it more than once. Exception being my turkey, every now and then she starts looking sick, so I treat her as I explained above and she recovers in a few days.

I've also found that the longer you can keep them off the dirt, the less likely they are to get sick.

 

[Nckyturkma]

I don't know about immunity, but it's been my experience that they don't usually get it more than once. Exception being my turkey, every now and then she starts looking sick, so I treat her as I explained above and she recovers in a few days.

I've also found that the longer you can keep them off the dirt, the less likely they are to get sick.

Ok thank you for this info. I love my little poult so much and I have been more and more stressed out the older it gets and worrying about blackhead once it goes outside.

 

[R2elk]

The study was a peer-reviewed experiment. I only read the abstract. It was a combination of anti-viral/bacterial compounds from herbs (cinnamon, garlic etc) that had some good results in the experiment if given in food and water prior to exposure. I thought giving some of these supplements in food might not hurt?

If it contains garlic it was done by people that don't know what they are doing and is highly suspect. Garlic is a member of the allium family and can be harmful to poultry.

There are numerous reports that cayenne pepper can be helpful but there are no studies.

 

[casportpony]

I had a couple of broad-breasted whites that lived to be 3 or 4, I think, and @DylansMom had one that lived to be 9, so it is possible to keep them as pets.

 

[Nckyturkma]

If it contains garlic it was done by people that don't know what they are doing and is highly suspect. Garlic is a member of the allium family and can be harmful to poultry.

There are numerous reports that cayenne pepper can be helpful but there are no studies.

I have heard that about garlic too. The study was published in the Archives of Animal Nutrition by two researchers at the Institute of Poultry Diseases in Berlin:

http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/gaan20
"Efficacy of a herbal product against
Histomonas meleagridis after
experimental infection of turkey poults"-
Prof. Hafez Mohamed Hafez a
& Rüdiger Hauck aa
Institute of Poultry Diseases, Free University Berlin , Germany
Published online: 25 Jan 2007.

I have heard alliums are not to be given to chickens but then others say to give garlic for worm prevention. Very confusing to me.

I think I will try the red pepper flakes