Hi there! I have some free range meat turkeys, just turned 16 weeks. In the last week, three have spontaneously died. I've been in the coop/run during 2 of the deaths and I think they're having heart attacks! They end up on their backs with their heads wayyyyy back buried under them and kick their legs like crazy for about a minute and that's about it. The first time it happened, I didn't see start of the incident, I thought maybe the bird jumped down from a branch or the coop roof and broke it's neck. I just saw it flailing around. One bird seems to have died it it's sleep, up nesting with the others. Same bent back neck, on its back position. No predator marks or damage to the bird. And just witnessed another bird dying like this. Instant flop back and legs kicking like hell. Had it's head bent back under it, but I couldn't get the bird back onto its legs or stomach. It was hell bent on lying on its back!
Of the 10 turkeys I bought from this hatchery, 5 died within the first couple days. Arrived so weak they couldn't do much more than flop onto their backs. But the five that weren't affected were completely healthy until now. The hatchery recommends slaughter at 3-5 months so I haven't exceeded the time frame. And these aren't MASSIVE birds either. They free range and are healthy active birds, right up to their instantaneous deaths. Are turkey heart attacks that common? Am I overlooking something? Hoping for some insight
Of the 10 turkeys I bought from this hatchery, 5 died within the first couple days. Arrived so weak they couldn't do much more than flop onto their backs. But the five that weren't affected were completely healthy until now. The hatchery recommends slaughter at 3-5 months so I haven't exceeded the time frame. And these aren't MASSIVE birds either. They free range and are healthy active birds, right up to their instantaneous deaths. Are turkey heart attacks that common? Am I overlooking something? Hoping for some insight
