Bloated poult with labored breathing

aleksgill

Chirping
May 1, 2019
17
44
59
Oak Ridge, NC
Looking for ideas as to the cause. I hatched out my second set or turkey poults on Friday and ended up with 8. Hatched had stretched over 24 hours which was weird. One chick also hatched out the wrong end which has never happened before. All my incubators and Hatcher’s are cleaned with tektrol after and before use.

The poult in question was fine until yesterday when I noticed he was breathing heavily. I assumed he had gotten too hot and adjusted the heat lamp, although the thermometer said it was the correct temp and he could have moved to the other end.

Today I noticed that he was still breathing heavily, is clicking as he breathes, and has a bloated abdomen. He has also become lethargic and lays around, when yesterday he was active and playing/eating. His belly seems to be bothering him. His vent looks great, but I noticed that his naval was scabbed with a small piece of egg adhered to it.

I have the whole group in a brooder with a heat lamp at one end, fresh lukewarm water, and game bird starter. I also started them on Corid today just in case.

Any ideas? If it’s contagious I want to figure it out ASAP! I was thinking mushy chick, but the belly is more firm and not soft and swollen. There is also no odor. Everything else looks great - eyes, nose, mouth, vent. The other 7 are fine, even Mr. Backwards Hatcher. They do cry a lot more than my first group, but if I take them out of the brooder they immediately get quiet and run around playing and pecking things.
 
Looking for ideas as to the cause. I hatched out my second set or turkey poults on Friday and ended up with 8. Hatched had stretched over 24 hours which was weird. One chick also hatched out the wrong end which has never happened before. All my incubators and Hatcher’s are cleaned with tektrol after and before use.

The poult in question was fine until yesterday when I noticed he was breathing heavily. I assumed he had gotten too hot and adjusted the heat lamp, although the thermometer said it was the correct temp and he could have moved to the other end.

Today I noticed that he was still breathing heavily, is clicking as he breathes, and has a bloated abdomen. He has also become lethargic and lays around, when yesterday he was active and playing/eating. His belly seems to be bothering him. His vent looks great, but I noticed that his naval was scabbed with a small piece of egg adhered to it.

I have the whole group in a brooder with a heat lamp at one end, fresh lukewarm water, and game bird starter. I also started them on Corid today just in case.

Any ideas? If it’s contagious I want to figure it out ASAP! I was thinking mushy chick, but the belly is more firm and not soft and swollen. There is also no odor. Everything else looks great - eyes, nose, mouth, vent. The other 7 are fine, even Mr. Backwards Hatcher. They do cry a lot more than my first group, but if I take them out of the brooder they immediately get quiet and run around playing and pecking things.
What are you using for bedding?
 
Currently paper towels.
Does it look like some of the paper towels have been pecked at and torn? I am suspecting that the poult has eaten something it shouldn't have and cannot digest it without the appropriate grit being available. I suspect the bloating is because it has impacted bowels and cannot expel its waste.

If it was mine, I would cull it as it will likely be dead within 48 hours anyway.
 
Does it look like some of the paper towels have been pecked at and torn? I am suspecting that the poult has eaten something it shouldn't have and cannot digest it without the appropriate grit being available. I suspect the bloating is because it has impacted bowels and cannot expel its waste.

If it was mine, I would cull it as it will likely be dead within 48 hours anyway.
All of the current paper towels are surprisingly intact, but I can’t say for sure yesterday. I have seen him poop a little.

I agree with the culling thing, he doesn’t look great. I just was worried it was maybe something contagious. I took the feed and waterer out of the chicken zone and washed them, but now I doubt that that was enough. I guess I’ll keep an eye on the rest! Thanks,
 

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