HELP!!! I think my turkey is sick. I don't know what to do.

[Eggs4Sale]

What is he like? If he sitting with his head hanging down? Does he fly up to roost at night or just stay on the ground? Does he have the look of the buff hen in the botulism photo?

 

[smfamf]

He never roosts at night. He always sleeps under the shelter on some hay. Today he acted fine this morning. When i got home a few minutes ago, he is just standing there with his wings hanging. He is now acting like he is having trouble breathing. His head doesn't hang.

 

[Buster52]

I lost a turkey to black head who was acting pretty much the way you are describing. Her poop was watery with a sulfur coloring to parts of it. It came from hanging out with chickens too much.

I don't know if that is your problem, though.

 

[smfamf]

He has always been with chickens.

My husband just told me that the friend he got him from had him for over a year. He is going on two years now.

The vet just told my husband that I was right and he is just getting too big.

It has taken us two days to get and answer from the vet.

I want to thank everyone for their help.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

WOW, from what I've read and just experienced, BB are not meant to last even a year. He is old!. We just butchered ours today and the tom weighed 40# at 5+ mos. old. I wonder if he would be tough? Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[smfamf]

We processed him tonight. I checked his organs and everything looked normal. He has about an inch thick layer of fat on him though. The guy we got him from free-fed whole corn. I think he sat next to the feeder and just filled up on it daily. I did find lice on him, so I will be treating everything tomorrow. The roos we got from the guy didn't have any. We processed thim last week. It got too dark to do it tonight, plus I don't have anything here to treat with. I have never had anything wrong with my birds. They haven't had to be treated with anything. The turkey was quarantined, but I will treat everything. I can't get DE unless I order online, so I will have to treat with Seven dust. Is it safe to eat him even though he had lice. He didn't have anything wrong internally. The only problem that I see is that some of his skin is really dry.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

Ours had a lot of fat too. How much did he weigh?

 

[smfamf]

I have no clue as to what he weighs. I don't have a reliable scale. My best gues would be about 30 lbs. dressed.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

That IS big!! In my book anyway. Will he fit in your oven whole?? Is this your first home processed turkey? It is ours so I'm trying to decide whether to oven roast or take a chance and let hubby smoke it.

 

[smfamf]

It is our first turkey period. I will be cooking it in a roaster. If that doesn't work, we will smoke it. We just smoked a duck yesterday and forgot to use any seasoning. lol It actually tastes fine.