2 breeds but just one kind dying? Frustrating!

[deanawo]

It took months for my turkey order to arrive. I ordered 20, received 19 live and 2 dead. So 9 royal palms & 10 bourbon reds arrived alive last month. Lost one RP the first night but it was weak when it got here. All the others learned to eat/drink quickly. I spend hours with them, hand fed them until they "got it." Over the last 3 weeks the bourbon reds are all dying one by one. Fine one minute and dead the next. I am left with 8 RP's & 1 BR. Why just the BR's? At $10 a pop hard to watch them die off. Those are the ones I wanted the most. Frustrating and expensive. I tried to buy local, couldn't find quality birds they all looked like mutts with red leaking on the RP's so I declined. Just venting.

 

[chicmom]

Hmmm are you raising them with chickens? In some areas, a disease called "blackhead" is a problem.

With baby turkeys, they can also easily get cocci. What kind of environment are you in? Has it been really hot and humid and wet? That's the weather that is a perfect breeding ground for cocci. Is your run just dirt? You might want to think about bringing a load of sand in there, because it has so many benefits. Drains well, easy to rake out and keep clean.

Try giving your flock a powder called Corid in their drinking water. You can get a packet of this product at TSC, for around $20.00. This product is advertised for bovine (cows), but it works well for poultry. Works very well.

Good luck with your remaining turkeys!
Sharon

 

[deanawo]

I have chickens but the turkeys are nowhere near them. They are in a large brooder built just for them. Have never been on the ground etc. I intended for them to be at least 6 weeks before they were on the ground. But since both breeds are together wouldn't I be losing royal palms too if that were the problem? I am in South AR. I will look at the Corid.

 

[yinepu]

With it being the one variety that's having problems it sounds like a weak hatch or just weak bloodlines.. have you contacted the seller?

If it were something like a parasite or disease I would think that most of the birds regardless of the variety would be showing some sort of symptoms.. since it's just the bourbons that makes me think it's the birds themselves and not anything else

 

[deanawo]

Only guaranteed to arrive here alive.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Are they on medicated feed? Have you started them on antibiotic? What are you doing for them? Round corners in the brooder so the can't pile? Heat that they can get under or get well away from?

 

[deanawo]

Non-medicated, no piling, vitamins drops in water, yes they can get away from heat. Again it is just the one breed & they are together. First turkeys but have hatched hundreds of chicks. Everybody growing, eating, drinking well. Just the one kind fall over dead.

 

[chicmom]

OH, I'm sorry, I should have paid better attention....that is strange and I would guess that the one breed has some type of bad genetics. So sorry for your losses, especially at $10.00 per turkey!

 

[spencerfarm]

We are having the exact same prob. with our Bourbon Reds. I am very interested in what you find out it is. I am going to call the vet tomorrow. We started out with 15 and are down to 7. What hatchery did you get yours from?

 

[deanawo]

The last Bourbon Red died today. The Royal Palms are still thriving. I got them all from Porter's - both breeds.