What illness could have killed my turkey poult overnight?

[lilybug51]

My bronze turkey poult was perfectly fine on Sunday evening when I fed them; running around, eating, pecking at me and her favorite tom for attention. Monday I had a doctors appointment in town so I didn't get to check on them until mid afternoon and she stone cold dead. No marks, no feathers missing, the only obvious things was a nasty butt. I have 3 other poults in the same run will they die too? Please HELP I need to know what this is so I can treat the others if that is even possible.

 

[Arya28]

I'm so sorry about your turkey! I don't have turkeys, but I do have chickens. Coccidiosis can be a very fast killer in different types of poultry. Did you notice any bloody or yolk colored poop? It is very contagious but it doesn't mean the others will die for sure. But you will want to treat them if that's what it is. I treated mine a natural way with herbs, such as oregano oil and garlic. The conventional way people will tell you to treat it is with corrid, but that doesn't always work. Here is an article I wrote with some info on this, I'm not an expert just trying to give you some useful advice https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/treating-maintaining-healthy-chickens-with-herbs.73080/

 

[Arya28]

It is essentially a parasitic Protozoa that can destroy the intestines of an animal. Here is some basic info on it, (that might not be what it is, just a guess by what you said) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coccidiosis

 

[BugStalker]

I personally use both. Corid blocks a nutrient the disease needs, and the chicken can last a while without it, but the herbs don't hurt, either. Attacking on different fronts, and all that... You just need to use them properly. (Oregano oil erodes the crop and stresses the liver in high doses, but it's never eaten that strong as a seasoning. I prefer as close to freshly picked as possible.)

 

[Arya28]

Using both can't hurt. We had oregano oil and not corrid when we noticed our first chick got sick with it, so that's what we used. We don't give them a lot, we only give them about half a drop by diluting it when we do give it to them. If we suspect something like parasites, infection or coccidiosis that's what we reach for though. We don't give it to them all the time. And we do use fresh oregano sometimes too.

 

[BugStalker]

It's great to have options. If you find the Corid is expired or spilled, it doesn't matter so much. You can start treating with other things immediately, until you can get more.

 

[Arya28]

We figure it like this- all antibiotics and drugs and pharmaceuticals have harmful side effects on their warning labels, and many that aren't even mentioned on the labels. We figure the correct herbs, in moderation, to be a lot more beneficial in the long term because of this.

 

[lilybug51]

Thank you both! I promptly picked aloe, oregano and basil to give them as a treat plus I added garlic, aloe and apple cider vinegar to their water. The friend who disposed of her said the poo was white and crusted around her butt. That was the only thing he could find wrong with her.

 

[Arya28]

Thank you both! I promptly picked aloe, oregano and basil to give them as a treat plus I added garlic, aloe and apple cider vinegar to their water. The friend who disposed of her said the poo was white and crusted around her butt. That was the only thing he could find wrong with her.

Either way, whether it's coccidiosis or not, that won't hurt and you've covered a lot of bases with those herbs! The aloe is good for parasites, the oregano and garlic both work as antibiotics and for parasites, and they are all good for coccidiosis! Plus, they are all immune boosting.