How is it possible?

[TimTurkey]

We have been talking about blackhead a lot, lately. I have posted several times on the subject myself. The first symptom most folks notice is the yellow to brown foamy diarrhea, including me.

Now, the dangerous part; I have been thinking.....

Blackhead is caused by a cecal worm, as part of its life cycle. Cecal worm lays eggs in soil; earth worm eats eggs; turkey eats earth worm and cecal worm eggs hatch in turkey, causing blackhead. Is this essentially correct?

So, my question as to "How is it possible?":

One of my chicks had the light brown foamy diarrhea on the day I brought my brood home. The diarrhea started to spread in the brooder and continued in the coop, before my turkeys had eaten ANYTHING BUT TURKEY STARTER. Before they had ever set foot to ground, or had eaten any wild fodder. So, where and how did my flock get turkey blackhead?

As suggested here, I started giving my flock cayenne pepper in their feed. A considerably higher dose than suggested, but they seem to like it. After 3 days, the diarrhea is all but gone.

 

[syble]

yellow foamy poop is just 1 thing, Being one of those unfortunate sops that dealt with it i needed to be sure, and as people pointed out yellow poop is fat poop. Apparently starvation mode. poop+listlessness+rapid weight loss+necropsy (showing gawd awful ceca and liver)=blackhead.

Like you i can't imagine how they would have gotten it. They have to come into contact some how with it, even if its a matter of a chicken pooping in the brooder that is a carrier. Or so that is my understanding

 

[TimTurkey]

My understanding as well, Syble. However, the turkeys are thriving; eating very well (about 1/2 lb. per bird per day), drinking, getting bigger everyday, happy, busy, curious....

I am really doubting that this is starvation or blackhead. I have seen the same turkey have a normal poop, and then, 15 minutes later, diarrhea.....

 

[Arielle]

My 8 BBW have gooey, thinnish poo. I have to watch for their dropping in the kitchen each morning and at 4 1/2 week old the poos are a slippery mess! I haven't seen a firm solid type of poo, like I see regularly in the chickens. Is this the kind of poo you are talking about?? My birds poo is like dark green tar. Not yellow, not foamy, not firm. not green and white. i wonder if it is the effect of the feed?