Asking for help to identify this problem.

[Michael Mellen]

There is a large black spot covering the back of one of my largest toms head. When I first saw this, I was so afraid it was "blackhead". My turkeys have never been close to chickens, the closest the chickens to my turkeys are more than 1,000 feet away locked in a pen. This bird does not have the symptoms of blackhead either, because he is eating well and is very strong. There are no sulfur looking stools in their yard either.

So, if this is not blackhead, what is it? It suddenly appeared a couple days ago, the rest of my turkeys are not show anything like this. Is it an injury? Except for my 3 hens and 1 tom, I am raising these turkeys for consumption. What should I do?




Thank you in advance for help.

 

[yinepu]

Looks like he has been pecked

With Blackhead the head doesn't turns dark like the name would suggest

I would just keep an eye on it for now.. see if anyone continues to beat up on him.. if so you may have to put him in a separate pen.

 

[Michael Mellen]

Thank you. That is kind of what I thought, but I wasn't sure.

 

[yinepu]

Thank you. That is kind of what I thought, but I wasn't sure.

np

I had a problem with a few of my boys fighting.. sometimes they will try to scalp one then leave him alone. Other times the wounded warrior just doesn't get a break so separation becomes a necessity.

 

[Macs farm]

This looks like it's the problem i'm facing today. Mine has black spots around the head, I seem to have all toms that want to fight each other all the time. I've separated him, though will process today anyway, due to having 8 toms and no hens and fancy a roast. They are all getting scars at back of mouth from their fighting, yet this one seems to be getting the black growth.

 

[yinepu]

It will eventually heal (ours did)... but if the other birds keep on attacking and fighting they can end up killing each other.. Usually the one bird that has been beat up on the most will end up hiding in a corner of the coop.. unable to go eat or drink because the corner becomes his "safe place" and every time he tries to leave it he gets attacked .. if left alone the affected bird will huddle up in a corner and die.. which is why we pull any toms that have been beat up... I would suggest just removing the bully.. but often times all of the toms will focus on the one bird .. so it's just easier to pull out the one who has been beat up.

 

[goosy]

yup--the black mark on back of your turkey is from being attacted from bully-an other tom----nice thing about me raising turkeys [6] white broad breasted turkeys-the cousins used to be in business big time -by the thousands--all turkeys were debeaked--well course I don't do that--but separating them is the way to go--but I have geese[toulous],and peking ducks who also live with them- for the most part they all get along--sure every so often I have to remind them of their manners--but for the most part they are all calm and quiet-their diet which now contains wheat,cracked corn,all fowl pellets,oats and of course grit-which I mix every morning in the hopper-the greens are available to them only in afternoon-as I want them to clean up on grain mixture--which they do-so by the time they go down for evening around 8:30 PM -all I have to do is hose sleds/drinking containers,and clean out the food hoppers-empty the pool [with a pump] clean that out--and start fresh in morning--I do not have any water standing or food on ground as I don't want to attract other 4 legged animals--here where I live --in middle of boonies of northern Min-every precaution has to be taken-or one may get up in morning to find one or two dead--My flock is out by 5am-5:30 at the latest--yes they are out 15 to 16 hour out side-but I am raising them strickly for consumption--come November they will all be in freezer--

 

[Macs farm]

I have processed the affected bird and liver etc all looked very healthy. They all fight at times, so decided to relieve him of the beatings and have him for tea. I don't think ill bother getting hens till I've processed all toms bar one, 8 left and no hens. other wise the fighting will probably increase.

 

[retlaw]

The heat must have been high in the incubator.
I have read that and it looks like I have a pack of toms to.
My heat was high.

 

[Macs farm]

it seems I may have one hen after all.one of the birds doesn't strut much or for long and doesn't seem to gobble very well. out of the 9 chicks I had 2 white birds that were runts. one of the white birds has caught up to the bronze brothers and one may be female. anyhow, i'm swapping two toms for two hens this weekend.