Emergency - No meat on Turkey hen's breastbone

[the Old Rebel]

Does anyone know what could be causing this??

I have a six-year-old bourbon red turkey hen. Several weeks ago, I noticed that her wings were drooping. I thought she was just hot, because we were having some very hot days. But then I picked her up and she didn't weigh much at all.

I've wormed her with Hygromycin B and then later with Wazine. The Hygromycin B is supposed to get rid of large roundworms, cecal worms, and capillary worms. It also has Bacitracin Methylene Disaliclate and lots of vitamins in it. But I don't know if I gave her enough of it as the instructions on the canister only tell you how to treat 50 pounds of feed.

I've heard of "wasting disease", but don't know what that is. But that seems to be what she is doing - just wasting away. I picked her up today. There is no meat on her breastbone. I've had a couple of chickens die this way over the years. Does anyone know what causes it??

I appreciate ANY help anyone can give me.

I didn't know whether to post this here or in Emergencies, so I put it in both. Hope that's ok.

Hope you all have a GREAT DAY!!

 

[gypsy2621]

Actualy for a double post the Mods will delete the one with the less responses.
Are you sure she is eating and drinking?
Have you seen her eating. try putting an ear of cooked corn on the cob out for her and see if she will peck at it.
I am afraid something has her off her feed its one of the few reasons I can think of why she would be so thin.
are there other turkeys? are they bullying her around? will they let her near the feed?
these are some of the things to be looking for.

 

[chickenzoo]

If you can get a stool sample tested that would be the best..... but if not:
I don't know about the other wormer, but like you said Wazine only treats some worm types. I use Ivomec or Safeguard/panacure which is a must for Turkeys & Peafowl IMO. Coccidia is also a problem in our hot moist environment. If you don't see worms in the poo,and the other wormers didn't help, I'd treat with Corid for 4 -7 days, putting 1/2 cc in the mouth. Yes even adult birds get coccidia, I've found out the hard way. Try to keep as much food and water in her as possible. If Corid does not seem to help I'd go ahead and dose with Ivomec or Safeguard. Avia Charge 2000 is a good vitamin or Poultry Nutri-Drench.

 

[the Old Rebel]

Thanks for the responses Gypsy2621 and Chickenzoo.

Yes, I am sure she is eating and drinking. She eats like a horse. We have her on Gamebird Breeder Feed and Scratch (cracked corn with wheat in it). She eats straight out of the buckets when we go in to feed and then I see her eating from her feeder several times a day.

She is alone in her pen. Her husband, who was a wild turkey that came up out of the woods 6 years ago and decided to stay with us, died this past Spring. We have no idea how old he was, but he had a full, long beard when he came to us. Maybe she is pining away for him, but I don't think so. She has a tom and another hen in the pen next door to her. They "talk" all the time.

Anyway, what is the Corrid for? If it is for coccidiosis, I thought coccidiosis caused them to have bright yellow poop. There is none of that.

If you have any other ideas or suggestions, I'm desperate.

By the way, where do you get the Panacure of Safe Guard??

Again, THANKS for your responses. I truly appreciate them.

Hope you both have a GREAT DAY!!

 

[sandspoultry]

Have you checked her for mites? Look up under the wing on the body and look to see if you see any tiny bugs crawling on her, also look around the vent area. We have Cochins and have to dust them a couple of times a year for mites. The mites will suck them dry and they will waste away to nothing in a short time. There is red mites and then there is black ones too.
Good luck.
Sharon

 

[the Old Rebel]

Bingo! Sandspoultry!!!!

I don't know if that is all that is wrong with her, but she does have tiny, long black bugs (lice??) and shorter, fatter light brown bugs (mites??). We sprayed her with Scalex Mite and Lice Spray for Birds which is 0.03% pyrethrins and 0.3% Piperonyl Butoxide, Technical. That was all we had at the moment and I knew we needed to act fast.

We are also giving her electrolytes and a vitamin - mineral-amino acid supplement. I have a supplement with iron. Do you think the iron would hurt her??

What do you dust your birds with?? What do you think of DE??

Where do lice and mites come from?? Do they get them from the pine shavings and/or wheat straw?? We've had both in her pen. How in the world do you get rid of them in the pen??

I've had birds for 10 years. I should KNOW BETTER. I feel sooooooooo stupid. Why did I think turkeys couldn't get lice and mites???? I actually didn't think that. I actually didn't think at all. OF COURSE they can get lice and mites. DUH!!!

Anyway, THANKS soooooo much for suggesting that. It will still be nip-and-tuck with her. She is sooooooo thin. But we're going to give it all we've got. I'll keep you posted on her progress.

Thanks to everyone for your help. Please pray for Rosie. Thanks!!

Hope you all have a GREAT DAY!!!

 

[sandspoultry]

So glad that I could help out. I sent you a PM with more information.

Good luck with her,
Sharon

 

[gypsy2621]

No no never feel foolish , its easy to sit on the other side of a problem and give the correct answers,
MUCH harder to sit there and figure out when its happening to you.
This is why we have this forum to help us head bang and help each other see what we may not have thought of.
G;ad its under control.
thankfully with diligence mites can be gotten rid of.

 

[the Old Rebel]

Again, I thank you both for your help. Sandspoultry, I got your pm. Will try what you suggested.

Do either of you or anyone else know if it is ok to give a turkey a vitamin supplement that has iron in it?? I know some people on here tell you to get the Poly-Visol without iron, but I don't know why they tell you that. I am giving Rosie Rooster Booster vitamins with iron in it, because I know she is soooooooo depleted from those awful bugs. But I don't want to give her something that will hurt her. I suspect strongly they use these vitamins for game cocks and they don't care if the iron is not good for them. But I care about Rosie.

Again, I thank you for all your help.

Hope you're having a GREAT EVENING!!
the Old Rebel

 

[chickenannie]

Make sure to give her a large dust-bath too (can add wood ashes and/or DE to the dirt) that will help keep mites from re-appearing after your treatment. My turkeys insist on daily dustbaths, but they need a much larger container than the turkeys have.