Help for my sick turkey

[MimiVMetker]

Hello, I’m new and have numerous types of fowl on my small farm. I have 3 meat turkeys and they’ve been healthy and great until I went out of town for 4 days. They usually roam free in a large area but we penned them in a smaller 7x10 pen while I was gone. When I returned the male was lethargic, not eating, and his head was red, whereas it’s usually blueish and white with some red. He has very watery or runny and bright yellow and green color. 2 of the pics are from a pool they like to stand in. Any ideas of how to help my sweet guy?

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

I am sorry your bird is sick. I will move this thread over to our Turkey forum for more help.

Welcome to our community!

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC. I think your turkey might have blackhead (histomoniasis). Is a vet an option?

 

[pennyJo1960]

Welcome to BYC. This is a great place to explore and hang out.

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens! We are very glad you joined! ❤

 

[kfelton0002]

Looks like blackhead. Better round up some metronidazole quickly or you will lose the bird. You likely won't have time to order any, best to seek a vet or if you can find some metronidazole at a fish or pet store in your area. Fish zole or aqua zole is sold for fishtanks but it is simply metronidazole tablets. 30-60mg/kg daily for at least 5 days is the dosage. In advanced cases of the illness (sulfur colored poop) I would go toward the higher end of the dosage recommendation. If you can find some enrofloxacin liquid, powder, or injectable it is a good adjunt therapy also to treat secondary e.coli infection.

 

[puddle_drinker]

Looks like blackhead. Better round up some metronidazole quickly or you will lose the bird. You likely won't have time to order any, best to seek a vet or if you can find some metronidazole at a fish or pet store in your area. Fish zole or aqua zole is sold for fishtanks but it is simply metronidazole tablets. 30-60mg/kg daily for at least 5 days is the dosage. In advanced cases of the illness (sulfur colored poop) I would go toward the higher end of the dosage recommendation. If you can find some enrofloxacin liquid, powder, or injectable it is a good adjunt therapy also to treat secondary e.coli infection.

Blackhead (histomoniasis) is caused by a protozoa, not bacteria, so antibiotics would have no effect on blackhead. There is no cure for blackhead. Also the only way to be certain if it's blackhead is by looking at the turkeys liver during a necropsy. A turkey with blackhead will have little bullseye looking marks all over its liver.

 

[R2elk]

Blackhead (histomoniasis) is caused by a protozoa, not bacteria, so antibiotics would have no effect on blackhead. There is no cure for blackhead. Also the only way to be certain if it's blackhead is by looking at the turkeys liver during a necropsy. A turkey with blackhead will have little bullseye looking marks all over its liver.

Blackhead is curable as has been proven by people who have had their turkeys recover.

Antibiotics are prescribed to treat the secondary infections.

 

[puddle_drinker]

Blackhead is curable as has been proven by people who have had their turkeys recover.

While I grant you that it's true blackhead is survivable by turkeys, the mortality rate for turkeys is 80-100%. There is currently no cure for blackhead.

 

[R2elk]

While I grant you that it's true blackhead is survivable by turkeys, the mortality rate for turkeys is 80-100%. There is currently no cure for blackhead.

Prevention is the best but others have cured infected birds.

The main reason for the high mortality rate is because most people don't recognize the symptoms and do not begin treatment soon enough.