Help please - Sick turkey poult and chick - housed together

[MillerChx]

Hello, all. I'm new to turkeys and have a new batch of 40 that arrived with 200 chicks this past Friday. They came from the same supplier, so I have them housed together. They have all looked absolutely beautiful until about 30 minutes ago when I noticed a lethargic turkey poult. I've been checking the whole flock about every two hours religiously, so I'm fairly certain I've caught this early. About ten minutes later, I noticed a little Delaware looking the same way. I hopped on here and saw something about blackhead as a possibility and about cayenne pepper as a potential treatment. I've pulled the two out of the flock, but I'm really worried about losing all. I've attached pics of the two birds, as well as the yellow poop on the turkey's bottom. The little turkey is still vocal enough to complain when I handle him, but he feels really thin to me. I would appreciate if someone experienced could weigh in on the possible problem and also tell me whether giving cayenne liberally to the entire flock would be okay. Thank you!!!!

Edited to add: both appear to be heaving when they breathe

E

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How warm is your brooder? Birds have to be on soil to contract blackhead.

 

[MillerChx]

How warm is your brooder? Birds have to be on soil to contract blackhead.

The room temp has ranged between 82 and 90. They are in an enclosed porch area - no drafts, etc. and well insulated. I have two 250 watt brooder lamps on one end of the room, so they can get away from those. I've been refreshing bedding every day, changing water two, sometimes three, times daily. Neither one will drink or eat at this point and the turkey keeps throwing his head back. Both are swaying and heaving.

 

[MillerChx]

The room temp has ranged between 82 and 90. They are in an enclosed porch area - no drafts, etc. and well insulated. I have two 250 watt brooder lamps on one end of the room, so they can get away from those. I've been refreshing bedding every day, changing water two, sometimes three, times daily. Neither one will drink or eat at this point and the turkey keeps throwing his head back. Both are swaying and heaving.

They have not been on soil - direct from boxes to wood shavings.

 

[R2elk]

They have not been on soil - direct from boxes to wood shavings.

It would not surprise me if the turkey poult has eaten some of the wood chips and has become impacted. I do not recommend having poults on wood chips for the first couple of weeks. Anytime they are on wood chips, they need to have the appropriate sized grit available to them. Without the grit they cannot grind up the wood chips that they eat.

 

[MillerChx]

It would not surprise me if the turkey poult has eaten some of the wood chips and has become impacted. I do not recommend having poults on wood chips for the first couple of weeks. Anytime they are on wood chips, they need to have the appropriate sized grit available to them. Without the grit they cannot grind up the wood chips that they eat.

Is there anything I can do to save this one, and could the chick have the same issue?

 

[R2elk]

Is there anything I can do to save this one, and could the chick have the same issue?

If it is something else, maybe. Other possibilities are coccidiosis or an e coli infection. If the symptoms are the same, it is probably the same issue with both.

Since you are brooding them all together, I am concerned if you are giving the poults a high protein turkey or gamebird starter that they need.

 

[MillerChx]

If it is something else, maybe. Other possibilities are coccidiosis or an e coli infection. If the symptoms are the same, it is probably the same issue with both.

Since you are brooding them all together, I am concerned if you are giving the poults a high protein turkey or gamebird starter that they need.

I am using a Nutrena starter. I don't have many options in my area. I was looking for a game bird starter, but my local feed store only had pelleted. They employee told me he has used the starter I'm using for years with poults with no problem. I have some fish meal on order - my understanding is that can boost protein as well as brewer's yeast. Either way, the issue I'm describing would not have likely have anything to do with protein deficiency at this age, would it?

 

[R2elk]

I am using a Nutrena starter. I don't have many options in my area. I was looking for a game bird starter, but my local feed store only had pelleted. They employee told me he has used the starter I'm using for years with poults with no problem. I have some fish meal on order - my understanding is that can boost protein as well as brewer's yeast. Either way, the issue I'm describing would not have likely have anything to do with protein deficiency at this age, would it?

The problem with using the wrong starter is more about insufficient lysine, methionine and niacin concentrations than it is about the protein level. Most chain feed stores refuse to carry proper turkey starter and their employees don't know what they are talking about.

No proper starter comes in a pelleted form as the pellets are too big for chicks, poults, keets, etc. to eat.

The issue you are describing is one of the three possible issues that I listed. You need to provide a proper sized grit so that none of the others develop problems from eating the wood chips.

 

[MillerChx]

The problem with using the wrong starter is more about insufficient lysine, methionine and niacin concentrations than it is about the protein level. Most chain feed stores refuse to carry proper turkey starter and their employees don't know what they are talking about.

No proper starter comes in a pelleted form as the pellets are too big for chicks, poults, keets, etc. to eat.

The issue you are describing is one of the three possible issues that I listed. You need to provide a proper sized grit so that none of the others develop problems from eating the wood chips.

Okay - thanks so much. Yes - I avoided the pelleted, but that's how I ended up with a starter crumble for chicks rather than game birds. I'll add grit tomorrow. Thanks again.