Blackhead disease question

[Rachel's Hobby Hatchery]

I think my turkey has blackhead. He has droopy wings, dull dirty feathers, his head is oftin pulled in, his tail is down all the time, he always seems tired and dosnt want to be touched (before he got sick he was always following me around and he would let me hug him). Also, he always has a very hard time pooping. He has to move his tail up & down and push hard to get them out. The droppings are NOT yellow but they are paisty, not wattery, and they have no shape (looks simelar to a cow dropping)... He is showing most of the signs of blackhead baised on everything I have read so far except the poops.

 

[Denninmi]

Oh, no. If it is blackhead, can you get some Metronidazole FAST? Either from a vet or order online and have overnighted. I guess you can save them IF you treat it right away.

 

[al6517]

Is he in contact with your chicken's, run with & live with them somewhat ??.

AL

 

[Rachel's Hobby Hatchery]

Yea, he has lived with my chickens & ducks since I got him at about 5 weeks old. I wont feed medacated feed so I guess I took a risk but I dont belive in it JMPO. My hen died at the end of october. she had simelar symptoms and was just starting to lay. she did that thing when the egg gets stuck & her insides come out too... My tom has been showing symptoms since then. Is there any risk of my chickens, ducks, dogs, and rabbits getting this disease or is it just a chicken thing? I know that my chickens will CARRY it (BTW: how did they GET it??? I have never had them near turkeys before this pair).

 

[al6517]

Yes the chickens do carry it but are always uneffected, they gave it to your turkey's that much is sure. It was transferred through the ground soil, that's why the number 1 rule is never place turkey's on the same ground as chickens, but you will hear of many who insist that it isn't a problem, but their just lucky. Now there is no known clinical cure for blackhead but if you search some folks have have minimul success with other concoction's and some have even claimed a vet cured there so called blackhead. I hope the turkey doesn't have it and wish you luck, but please next time keep them off the same ground, and as a side note the soil can stay infected for many many years to come.

AL

 

[ColbyNTX]

Rachel's Hobby Hatchery :

Yea, he has lived with my chickens & ducks since I got him at about 5 weeks old. I wont feed medacated feed so I guess I took a risk but I dont belive in it JMPO. My hen died at the end of october. she had simelar symptoms and was just starting to lay. she did that thing when the egg gets stuck & her insides come out too... My tom has been showing symptoms since then. Is there any risk of my chickens, ducks, dogs, and rabbits getting this disease or is it just a chicken thing? I know that my chickens will CARRY it (BTW: how did they GET it??? I have never had them near turkeys before this pair).

The medicated feed would not have prevented blackhead! Call your county ag agent and see if there have been cases of blackhead in your area. Sorry he is sick and I hope you can save him. I live in chicken country(Tyson & Pilgrims Pride) so there are many bird vets around but they can not treat peoples flocks for biosecurity reasons. We don't have blackhead problems around here thank goodness.​

 

[al6517]

Yes your right Medicated feed wouldn't have help prevent it, and Blackhead as you mentioned can be a regional occurance so it's good to find out what's happening in the OP's area.

AL

 

[slc]

Fish Zole (Metronidazole) 250 mg per gallon of water for three days ASAP. We keep a mixed flock but we do not have blackhead issues here. I keep Fish-zole on hand in my first aid kit at all times just in case there is every any sign of it.

 

[Denninmi]

There is a specific medication called Nitarsone that can be added to feed to prevent blackhead. Unfortunately, it's hard to come by in small quantities.

I bought medicated feed from Blue Seal Feeds in Maine through their online site/e-mail. The product is called "Turkey Grower - HS Medicated", and it contains (I believe this is the right number, but I'm not trudging out through 6 inches of snow to find out right now, sorry) 0.175% Nitarsone.

The Turkey Grower - HS Medicated is the very last product on the bottom of the following webpage.

http://www.blueseal.com/livestock/poultry/feeds.php

Alas, the only problem with this product -- the feed was $10 a bag, and the shipping was close to $30!

 

[Rachel's Hobby Hatchery]

I guess Im not getting any turkeys anytime soon

Will the DNRE tell me if there is any outbreaks or how do I contact sombody that would know (maby the Michigan State University Extention office???)? Is there anything that I can put in the soil that will kill the blackhead (Diotonatious (spelling?) earth maby but that kills BUGS). I cant kill gussy. is there anything affordible that I can give him to treat his symptoms?