Blackhead Prevention

[kfelton0002]

@casportpony not meaning to be a pest, but would landscaping fabric work with a layer of sand and agricultural lime? Or would you lime before putting the barrier down? Then put sand and fresh straw?

 

[casportpony]

@casportpony not meaning to be a pest, but would landscaping fabric work with a layer of sand and agricultural lime? Or would you lime before putting the barrier down? Then put sand and fresh straw?

I have no idea if that would work or not. With landscaping fabric, I would worry about it coming up through the sand and them eating it.

Another option would be six inches of base rock.

 

[kfelton0002]

I have no idea if that would work or not. With landscaping fabric, I would worry about it coming up through the sand and them eating it.

Another option would be six inches of base rock.

The lime would make the ground inhospitable to parasites and earthworms. Putting in 6 inches of gravel may be an option but I just like for poultry to be able to scratch and dust bathe like normal. Gravel just seems like a sad way for turkeys to live. I will keep them on cayenne for the first year of their lives at least so hopefully finding an adequate barrier to put down and the lime, coupled with the cayenne and keeping them away from chickens will work.

 

[kfelton0002]

Update:
For anyone who cares to follow my current endeavor with turkeys, my efforts so far to prevent blackhead in my poults are proving effective. My 14 poults quickly outgrew my indoor brooders in the building and I moved them to the outdoor brooder about 2 weeks ago. The 2 oldest Narragansetts are 7 weeks now and the 12 Sweetgrass/Fall Fires/Red SG/Blue SG/semi-penciled SG are 6 weeks old. The pen they are now in is an old chicken pen that I limed, then salted with NaCl, watered that in, and then let dry completely out. I put fresh straw down as needed and keep cayenne in their drinking water at a ratio of 1 tbsp per gallon. They are all vigorous, healthy, and growing like weeds. I monitor their droppings closely and all is well. I believe there is hope after all that you can cope with Blackhead as long as you stay 2 steps ahead of it and keep vigilant in prevention. It is still early and I know my poults are still at a tender age where they are highly susceptible to blackhead, but I'm feeling positive. I will continue to post back with updates.

 

[kfelton0002]

Just wanted to update for anyone that may ever encounter this thread in a desperate search in the future. Cayenne does not prevent blackhead at the concentration I was mixing. I was mixing 1 tbsp of cayenne per gallon. I had limed and salted the pen my poults went in to when I brought them outside and put them on the ground. Despite my efforts, my turkeys still have been stricken with blackhead. I lost 2 on Saturday as they passed so very shortly after onset of any outward symptoms. But I was swift to begin treatment as I had all the medicines and dewormer already on hand. As of yesterday evening I hadn't lost anymore and the ones that had drooped up the previous day looked markedly better once they had received their dose of metronidazole, baytril, and dewormer. They also got a dose of corid for good measure and to cover all bases just in case. Everyone appears to be eating and drinking. I expect to lose 1-2 more just because I know hard blackhead is on them.

Timeline:
Friday afternoon: no symptoms, no droopy poults. No sulfur colored droppings. No abnormal droppings that I could see.
Late Friday evening: my husband told me Saturday after the fact that one poult looked a little droopy late Friday evening, I did not witness this as I was watching my sisters children.
Saturday afternoon: poult dead in pen, another droopy. No sulfur colored droppings. Entire group medicated.
Saturday evening: droopy poult began having sulfur colored droppings, died approximately 30 minutes after onset of sulfur colored droppings. Two more poults droopy.
Sunday morning: 2 poults still a little droopy, eating and drinking, no more losses.
Sunday evening: No further losses.

It was 0400 and dark when I left for work this morning so I didn't check on the turkeys. I will get home around 1500 and will check on them and medicate them then. I will continue to post back with updates.

 

[R2elk]

Just wanted to update for anyone that may ever encounter this thread in a desperate search in the future. Cayenne does not prevent blackhead at the concentration I was mixing. I was mixing 1 tbsp of cayenne per gallon.

Most of the people that I have seen using cayenne pepper use it by sprinkling it on the feed. It is my experience that cayenne pepper does not dissolve well in water.

This is not to imply that cayenne pepper does or does not have a beneficial use when dealing with blackhead.

Good luck.

 

[kfelton0002]

Most of the people that I have seen using cayenne pepper use it by sprinkling it on the feed. It is my experience that cayenne pepper does not dissolve well in water.

This is not to imply that cayenne pepper does or does not have a beneficial use when dealing with blackhead.

Good luck.

Well I knew it wouldn't mix up good and had thought about mixing it in their starter. I got the idea to use cayenne from a friend who has also dealt with blackhead in his turkeys. He said it works best in their water as they waste so much of the "dust" parts of the starter feed so I just followed his advice. I had even thought about adding some water to the starter and cayenne mixture and making it into a mash. I may try the cayenne in their dry feed moving forward. Or in scrambled eggs. They like scrambled eggs. Once they are on pellets solely as their ration the cayenne may stick to the pellets when mixed. I have introduced pellets to them just so they can try them out and get used to them but they are still mainly on 30%. I was going to start cutting their protein but now will wait until they are not ill.

This has all been such a nightmare, but I'm thankful I had all the medicines on hand and was prepared as blackhead kills them so swiftly. I have been assured by two friends in my area that raise turkeys that if I can get them past 3-4 months they will eventually build up a natural resistance to blackhead. I remain guarded but hopeful also. I may even try to keep a maintainence dose of metronidazole in their water for a few weeks if I can get them through the acute illness.

 

[Molpet]

Well I knew it wouldn't mix up good and had thought about mixing it in their starter. I got the idea to use cayenne from a friend who has also dealt with blackhead in his turkeys. He said it works best in their water as they waste so much of the "dust" parts of the starter feed so I just followed his advice. I had even thought about adding some water to the starter and cayenne mixture and making it into a mash. I may try the cayenne in their dry feed moving forward. Or in scrambled eggs. They like scrambled eggs. Once they are on pellets solely as their ration the cayenne may stick to the pellets when mixed. I have introduced pellets to them just so they can try them out and get used to them but they are still mainly on 30%. I was going to start cutting their protein but now will wait until they are not ill.

This has all been such a nightmare, but I'm thankful I had all the medicines on hand and was prepared as blackhead kills them so swiftly. I have been assured by two friends in my area that raise turkeys that if I can get them past 3-4 months they will eventually build up a natural resistance to blackhead. I remain guarded but hopeful also. I may even try to keep a maintainence dose of metronidazole in their water for a few weeks if I can get them through the acute illness.

I put a heaping quarter cup with 2 gallons of feed add 2 gallons of water and stir well feeding it the next day. Water depends on how much moisture is in the feed.

 

[kfelton0002]

I put a heaping quarter cup with 2 gallons of feed add 2 gallons of water and stir well feeding it the next day. Water depends on how much moisture is in the feed.

I'm going to try that! Thanks for the tip!

 

[kfelton0002]

No more losses today! There are still a couple of droopy ones but no worse today. And no signs of the ominous sulfur colored poop in the pen! All poops looked solid and normal. Keeping everybody medicated regardless. Small victory!

Ruger being his normal nosey self.

Ruger's pint sized sister, Beretta. (My child named them).

Here is the best snapshots of the group of Sweetgrass I could get. They like to roost, preen, and nap after they eat. One was in the process of chirping or yawning in the picture. Ignore my bald Pyrenees in the background, he just had a hair cut.