5 week old turkey poult with yellow eye goop - no foam, no respiratory symptoms at all

[aprilcmast]

Hi! I'm new to turkeys and I'm trying to get this right. Bought two poults at 2 weeks old, they're now almost 6 weeks old. The one had a closed eye but acted completely fine, feed store (yes, I know that was my first mistake) said it only had one eye. I thought it was endearing (yes, I know I'm new to this) and thought I'd take it since they are our pets, not food. Eye was fine for a few weeks then it was swollen all of a sudden. Took it to the vet, started the Ofloxacin twice a day for 10 days. That was July 8th - eye looks better but I still squeeze yellow chunky goop out of it twice a day. Bird is a little smaller than the other one but acts about the same. No sneezing, no gasping, etc but smells a bit. Seems almost like an injury or a defect?

When it eats it gets food in its eye, sweeps its head to the side in the food. Food gets in the eye and nose this way so seems as though it keeps making it worse. There's a little swelling behind the eye toward the neck area on that side. I tried to clean it out and put a bandaid/birdie eye patch but it wouldn't stick.

My equine vet friend says to try Baytril, others say Terramycin in the water, Tylan or VetRx. Doesn't seem to fit the description of Mycoplasma, maybe Coryza with the smell but doesn't show any respiratory distress.

They're in our old Great Dane wire dog crate right now, shavings on the bottom and a heat lamp at night. We sectioned off the end with boards so they have shelter and the entire cage is wrapped in 1/2 inch wire. I put a cinder block in there for a perch for now. We are going to build a bigger coop soon but it's perfect size for now. They're on starter crumbles and I give them greens, veggies, sprouts, etc. Added colloidal silver to their water.

Thoughts? Thank you!

 

[ivan3]

Try the Baytril (if you can get a script) and Terramycin eye ointment (still available OTC). Description does seem to indicate something localized.

You say you got these turks at the feedstore? Do you know what variety they are? If they are Broad Breasted White or Bronze then be aware that these guys are bred for doom and dinner (rapid growth over all else).

Try holding a fluttering moth out to the puny one. See if its eyesight is good enough to grab the moth (we've had turks with eye injury but none swung their heads from side-to-side to shovel out feed - wonder if it is one eye or something affecting both).

Good luck!

 

[casportpony]

You can get Baytril without a prescription *very* easily. Just search for "baytril for birds" or enfloxil.



-Kathy