All turkeys losing feathers on back of neck

[mowgli]

Please help.I have seven royal palms all approaching five to six months of age.They free range all day and roost at night.All of them are losing feathers on the back of their necks only.They have all the food they can eat.Mealworms,sun flower seeds, high protein crumbles .The grass is brown now and I haven't been supplying greens.Unsure if I should.Their behavior is the same and they don't act sick.

 

[casportpony]

Have you checked them for lice and mites?

 

[Molpet]

Jakes lose the back of the neck feathers. Please post pictures from from 3 sides

 

[mowgli]

Have you checked them for lice and mites?

No live or mites

 

[mowgli]

Jakes lose the back of the neck feathers. Please post pictures from from 3 sides

So it is normal? I will post pics this afternoon.Thank you

 

[mowgli]

Jakes lose the back of the neck feathers. Please post pictures from from 3 sides

Here are pics

 

[Chickenlover0810]

mating to much or molting

 

[mowgli]

I didn't think they mated at 6 months but my bantums started laying eggs at five months and several are on nests now.If you feed them high nutrition do they mature early?

mating to much or molting

 

[R2elk]

Here are picsView attachment 1970962 View attachment 1970963 View attachment 1970965

What you are seeing is normal. The hen in the second picture does have some pecking damage. The toms will continue to lose the feathers on the top of their heads and back of their necks until they are completely bald. This is the age that pecking order disputes can often take place.

I didn't think they mated at 6 months but my bantums started laying eggs at five months and several are on nests now.If you feed them high nutrition do they mature early?

While turkeys are sexually mature at 6 months, the most common result is that mating does not begin until the following spring. Providing supplemental light can interfere with what is normal since their breeding and laying cycles are based on length of daylight hours.

They are turkeys so don't base their expected behavior off of chicken behavior.

 

[mowgli]

What you are seeing is normal. The hen in the second picture does have some pecking damage. The toms will continue to lose the feathers on the top of their heads and back of their necks until they are completely bald. This is the age that pecking order disputes can often take place.

While turkeys are sexually mature at 6 months, the most common result is that mating does not begin until the following spring. Providing supplemental light can interfere with what is normal since their breeding and laying cycles are based on length of daylight hours.

They are turkeys so don't base their expected behavior off of chicken behavior.

Thanks I was worried.I didn't think they would get so tame and attached They follow me everywhere and sit on the bench with me at night.I didn't think I would get so attached.i got them to eat tics and have become smitten lol