Help-Turkey with crusty yellow scabs on abdomen-- what could this be??

Okey-dokey, it's question time, Ivan3. Where did you get your "Turkey Inspection Gear"? I've been using a geologist's tiny rock magnifier and I'm about to go blind.

I took your suggestion on the sand with pine shavings on top. I don't think there will be anything to rake up at the end of a week as these turkeys crap like draft horses and EVERYTHING will have to go. Do you go through a lot of sand and pine shavings? I have 5 turkeys and 22 chickens, I put a 50 lb bag of sand into the bigger coop-- 8X10, and it seemed pretty sparse. How long will the sand last between cleanings?

The real reason for this post is that I'm trying to weasel. I dusted everyone with Prozap on Saturday and I'm wondering if I really need to re-dust them just yet. I'll swear that some of my birds are having a bit of an allergic reaction to the dust (especially since I dumped it onto most of the birds like I was powdering a doughnut). Several of them are just sitting around a lot. I, TOO, feel like I've eaten enough Prozap to last at least 10 days. I think that maybe they got a bunch of the powder on bare skin (around the vent area, which was pretty raw on most of the birds) and the absorption may have been pretty intense. So, do you think I could wait another 2 or 3 days to dust, making it 2 dustings in 10 days? Or should I buy some of the Ivermectin pour on and use that in a couple of days. All of the literature on NFM says mix up your chemicals or the critters can become resistant.


The new coop progresses nicely.
 
Headsets are cheap: http://www.mageyes.com/default.htm That should really do the job. There are all sorts of LED illuminated hand held magnifiers/loupes available so root around on web until you find one you like.
We have had up to 5 turks in a 7'x8' shed. Approx. 3" of sand (300lb+) as a base over a congoleum remnant, over treated plywood. Straw and wood chips as a surface. Clean up was/is a breeze. We just do a yearly clean-out and add the sand to the run. Never has been a mess. We started out with just the straw and wood chips over the congoleum but the turks would fly down off the roost. hit the straw with some forward momentum and the straw and turk would slide forward (on the slippery congoleum) - turkey on butt - out the door - didn't want to chance leg injuries.

Knock off the dusting. Check the birds for any bug activity. Wood ashes+fine sand+a handful of DE in an area where they can dirt bathe should be sufficient until you actually see/feel `bugs', again (hopeful you won't). Check the toms/roo primarily (chook/turk hens tend to dust bathe more often).

The only dust we've ever used is some Sevin in dust bathing areas (only a shake or two). Ivermectin from a syringe/squirted on birds after they've gone to roost is much less labor/lung intensive, as is a squirt of Adams spray on the roo's butt.

Don't know anything about Prozap but it sounds like you've reached the limit for the time being.
 
They're baaaaacckkkkk! Yes, the Northern Fowl (FOUL!!FOUL!) Mites are back. I'm thinking of trying Ivermectin (dusted with prozap last time). What is the dosage per bird? Is it a weight thing? I've not seen the product for sale or read anything consistent about the dosage. Ivan3 if you're out there I'd LOVE your take on this. Also, lots of crusted/hardened poop around the vent area on some of the birds. Should I bathe before the Ivermectin? There is AMPLE area to dust bathe, I just think these little suckers come in with the wild birds.
 
Sorry I didn't see post, until now (PM to alert as I'm not here too often (usually hit site, when not working, before I tank). Use 1 CC on skin of back between wings. Adams tick and Flea Spray might be useful. Really dry, cemented, poop on the feathers can be crushed to powder with a pair of wide faced pliers (careful trimming can be of use). Soaking turks long enough to actually get dried cwap to soften up for removal could be rather, errrrrr, problematic at best (splash/splash).
 
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Well I have both of those answers for you the scabs on his abdomen are likely from him rubbing his keel on the roost I don't know how to treat it because my rooster has the same problem and the best way to get rid of NFMs is to lock up your birds in a pen you can catch them easily I recommend putting them there at night and in the morning on a hot day het a half a barrel or something that holds water fill it up tall enough so that the birds are up to about there necks also restrain them or you will get a shower also make the water warm but not hot and put a generous amount of DAWN dishwashing detergent and mix it up and scrub your birds with your hands I swear by this method I live on a ranch with 50 chickens and I had a huge mite problem until I read about this method and now I am mite free also keep dusting the coop inside.
 
I am afraid I don't and cant show any since its winter and doing it in the winter is a bad idea because it can freeze them to death but my methods are very successful it may take more than one time to finish the problem but its a good idea to try it.
 

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