Dead turkey

[EngeFamilyFarms]

Hi there, we have 9 B.B. turkeys as of this morning. I fed them and watered them at 1 PM today. My wife came home at 5 PM and called me saying that one of our biggest homes is on his back in the coop dead. All nine bird seems happy and healthy eating and drinking this morning. He is 18 weeks old in about 25 pounds. Do you think this is a hard attack from getting too big? I don’t know what could. caused such a sudden change. I’m thinking of taking them to this butcher this week so I don’t lose anymore. I just don’t know if it was a parasite or something else That will hurt the meat. So sad... he was so sweet!

 

[Maeschak]

I hope someone can answer your question... I am interested in finding out too. I do know that spontaneous-seeming deaths occur fairly regularly in fast growing fowl. (Happens all the time with Cx). I've even had large, healthy, DP birds spontaneously croak at around 18 weeks and 18 months. In both of those situations there was fluid around the heart.
I hope someone can help you out- good luck!

 

[Maeschak]

I guess I should say that the DP chickens that just fell over dead 'seemed' healthy! They obviously were not, but they were large boys, the biggest in fact, and were cruising around being all chicken-y shortly prior to death.