HELP SICK TURKEY

[Lurkeygirl2011]

My turkey Louise is acting lethargic. She is hunched up in the corner of her pen, feathers ruffled. I just noticed diarrhea, but no blood. She was walking fine this morning. But for the past several days I have felt something was not quite right. Any advice???

 

[ivan3]

Sorry to hear your turk's not well.

What variety of turk, how old, color of droppings? Anything else that you can think of?

 

[Lurkeygirl2011]

Royal Palm, she 2. Whitish watery droppings... She walked around a little before going inside, and did make it up to the roost. If she makes it to tomorrow I can get some antibiotics...

She shook her head weird a couple days ago, but she just did that once that I saw...

And for the past couple of days at least, she has just seemed slower than usual, not pecking her food with the usual vigor.

Last Tuesday I cleaned out the coop and put new shavings in, Wednesday I moved around their panels so they could have some fresh grass, she seemed very happy to have the new grass.

She lives with 3 other Turkeys all royal Palms, two toms and another hen. They are all acting fine.

The coop is divided by chicken wire, on the other side are 7 other turkeys also RP.

 

[ivan3]

Keep an eye on how much, if anything, she's eating. Has she laid any eggs this year, yet? Has it been raining a lot in your area and warmer than usual (potential moldy something or other). I'd make sure she just had plenty of clean, fresh water and augment diet with meal worms/crushed hard boiled eggs.

That's she still well enough to make it to roost is hopeful.

 

[Lurkeygirl2011]

Thank you!

It has been a lot warmer than usual this year, for 2 wks it was hot, now today it has dropped back into the 30s.

I called the vet and he wondered if it was a respiratory infection. He said to keep her in a well ventilated area and try giving some childrens benadryl. I opened the window on her side of the coop, I am not sure if that was the right thing to do or not, as it is supposed to be cold again tonight. I didn't get the benadryl into her. I thought about putting her up in the big shed but she seemed really distressed when I separated her from the rest of the turkeys, so just left her.

She has not laid an egg yet this spring. I just found my first egg today, from one of my other turkeys.

 

[ivan3]

Usually, when these guys have something respiratory going on you'll hear or see signs of it (goop from nares, swollen cheeks, wheezing). Just keep a close eye for anything specific and post up (reason I asked about egg laying was potential for being egg-bound).