Consolidated Kansas

[surgerynut]

Quote:
Congrats you got your turkey back. I have a question for you. I have a white turkey, about 5 months old. Besides being overwhelmed by our Kansas heat, he seemed to be doing okay until about a week ago. Now however, he can't walk, has course, gurgling respiratory sounds and has lost feathers all over is chest. The weird thing is that as long as I put his food and water in front of him, he eats and drinks great, and his stools are large and normal appeaing, however he just lays in it until I get home to relocate him to a clean spot. Any ideas? Is gape worm a problem around here? That wouldn't account for him not walking though would it? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I began giving him Tylan injections 2 days ago.
Thanks, Julie

 

[chicken danz]

sharol, Your cookies sound great. I will try them. My brother is gluten intolerant so those would be perfect for him.

 

[chicken danz]

Quote:
Congrats you got your turkey back. I have a question for you. I have a white turkey, about 5 months old. Besides being overwhelmed by our Kansas heat, he seemed to be doing okay until about a week ago. Now however, he can't walk, has course, gurgling respiratory sounds and has lost feathers all over is chest. The weird thing is that as long as I put his food and water in front of him, he eats and drinks great, and his stools are large and normal appeaing, however he just lays in it until I get home to relocate him to a clean spot. Any ideas? Is gape worm a problem around here? That wouldn't account for him not walking though would it? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I began giving him Tylan injections 2 days ago.
Thanks, Julie

Not to be a downer but you have to make sure you isolate your turkey first from any of your other birds. There are one of two things I know it could be: Bird cholera or synovitis. Sounds more like bird cholera. You should read up on both for sure to have a plan of attack. Vet RX is made for birds with colds and pneumonia. If you can find it that would be my first treatment of him. You have to clear up the respiratory thing for sure. If he should happen to pass away I would certainly have a necropsy done on him to make sure he doesn't have something that would spread to your other birds.
Is he holding his head up? Do you notice any swelling? Be sure to check him out, under him, and in his vent for any maggots. I'm so sorry he is doing so poorly. That is heart breaking.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Quote:
Congrats you got your turkey back. I have a question for you. I have a white turkey, about 5 months old. Besides being overwhelmed by our Kansas heat, he seemed to be doing okay until about a week ago. Now however, he can't walk, has course, gurgling respiratory sounds and has lost feathers all over is chest. The weird thing is that as long as I put his food and water in front of him, he eats and drinks great, and his stools are large and normal appeaing, however he just lays in it until I get home to relocate him to a clean spot. Any ideas? Is gape worm a problem around here? That wouldn't account for him not walking though would it? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I began giving him Tylan injections 2 days ago.
Thanks, Julie

I have no idea! But it does sound like he's pretty sick. Without knowing what he has, I think the Tylan covers a pretty good range of diseases (pneumonia being one of them). Everyone else knows a LOT more than me!! ha! I have spent the last several days reading about gape worm though (I know, wierd!). I think it can occur about anywhere, and it does sound pretty scarey. But everyone says that their birds open their mouths really wide and shake their heads with it.

Never experienced it. If his stools seem normal, it might point more to a parasite. Sorry I can't be of more help, I'm sure someone else will jump in and fill the gaps! I hope the injections work and he gets better! My turkey was sick a few weeks back and she received Baytril injections for 3 days and then oral (liquid) Baytril for the next week. So whatever you do, don't stop medicating too soon. I've also heard that cayene pepper in their food helps with parasites- the turkey thread on BYC is where I got that info a while ago. A few people swear by it and put it in their food daily.

Thanks Danz! GREAT advice! I'm reading about this stuff, but have no practical experience what so ever!

 

[surgerynut]

Quote:
Congrats you got your turkey back. I have a question for you. I have a white turkey, about 5 months old. Besides being overwhelmed by our Kansas heat, he seemed to be doing okay until about a week ago. Now however, he can't walk, has course, gurgling respiratory sounds and has lost feathers all over is chest. The weird thing is that as long as I put his food and water in front of him, he eats and drinks great, and his stools are large and normal appeaing, however he just lays in it until I get home to relocate him to a clean spot. Any ideas? Is gape worm a problem around here? That wouldn't account for him not walking though would it? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I began giving him Tylan injections 2 days ago.
Thanks, Julie

Not to be a downer but you have to make sure you isolate your turkey first from any of your other birds. There are one of two things I know it could be: Bird cholera or synovitis. Sounds more like bird cholera. You should read up on both for sure to have a plan of attack. Vet RX is made for birds with colds and pneumonia. If you can find it that would be my first treatment of him. You have to clear up the respiratory thing for sure. If he should happen to pass away I would certainly have a necropsy done on him to make sure he doesn't have something that would spread to your other birds.
Is he holding his head up? Do you notice any swelling? Be sure to check him out, under him, and in his vent for any maggots. I'm so sorry he is doing so poorly. That is heart breaking.

Chicken danz, thank you so much for your input. I read up on both ailments and I believe that my turkey is exhibiting symptoms of synovitis, which often has a respiratory component. Tetracycline is recommended, so I'm going to look high and low for it tomorrow. You have given me something to be hopeful for. I really thought I might begin resenting this big guy after having to carry him daily to poop free zones after about 3 years. Nah, I could never resent Zurg, I just want him to get back to his normal self. I just love to watch the goofy way he runs. Since you are so up on this stuff, would you recommend I treat my poultry for worms as well. I have a pond in the front yard which the animals love to visit when I let them free range. Does this predispose them to worms? If you think I should, what wormer do you recommend? Thanks again for your wonderful enlightenment.
Julie

 

[Hawkeye95]

Sugerynut, can you just call your vet and ask him for the medicine? My vet and I are on good ground- and I can usually just call and tell him what I need and he'll have it ready for me to pick up. Tetracycline should be really inexpensive, which is good. My Baytril that I got was only $10 (for my turkey). Super cheap, and he gave me enough for two weeks worth of treatment.

 

[chicken danz]

S nut, I would let this turkey get well before I worm him at the same time. I've learned this from my vet (who wants nothing to do with poultry). But as far as my other animals go, he doesn't ever worm or vaccinate at the same time he is attempting to clear some ailment. Drugs interact and can cause one or another to be ineffective and can also produce fatal effects in certain combinations. As far as worming goes there are some real precautions there. I bought some and then ended up dumping all the waterers with it after I made some phone calls and checked side effects. If you are getting eggs from your birds you can't eat them for at least 2 weeks. Many wormers that work for chickens aren't safe for other fowl. They don't tell you that on the label. They just say approved for chickens.
It seems like many people are using Diatomaceous earth for worming. It seems like a very safe natural option. I certainly recommend any thing that is natural over chemical.
If you have a farm store nearby you can probably find tetracycline if you don't get some from a vet. The problem with chickens is knowing what dose to use. Most of the commercial drugs have instructions for livestock but not for poultry.
Please don't confuse me as being an ultimate authority. I just read and study all the time. I love my birds and animals and want them to be as healthy as they can be. Ultimately I wanted to be a doctor but wasn't wealthy enough or smart enough to go through all those years of schooling.
BTW congrats to you for letting your birds free range! I do, and I guarantee you mine are some of the best looking healthy birds you will find.

 

[CarolAnn]

Here's a duck question fer ya. If I let my ducks out to wander the yard during the day are the likely to eat my petunias and other annuals in my flower beds and pots? Cause if so I won't be letting them loose to roam. That's the reason I stopped letting my chickens free range in the evenings. I really wanted to let the duckies out when I am at home.

 

[chicken danz]

Ducks are more interested in bugs than plants. The problem with ducks and gardens is if the soil is wet they want to be putting their beaks in it. Put some water out for them to play in away from the flowers and try not to keep your flowers too damp and they will be fine. Mine often frequent my flower bed and lay under some of the larger plants, but they have never eaten a flower. They literally cleaned out an infestation of grasshoppers or me.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Preschool day- so I spent it running around. However, I did go to a store called "The Yard" and they have home stuff- some recycled, some new. I picked up a piece of plexiglass- but they called it something else... with an L. I don't remember. But it's basically plexi and I got a piece that was the really thick stuff, and not the thinner.. I'm going to use that for my pop door. It's just a remenant- 16X17, and I don't know that I'll cut it down- since they had a sheet posted about it and you are supposed to use special blades, etc. Whatever, no biggie, I think I can just make a rail for the size it is and use as is on the inside of the coop. I don't know, maybe I'll try cutting it down... But I haven't held it up yet to the hole to see how far it goes over. I had a silly moment... I thought it was a blue piece of plastic and I was kind of excited to have a blue door! Then after carrying it around I noticed the "blue" was peeling up and realized it had a thin blue protective covering on both sides. Duh..