Is a puffed up nearly featherless breasts normal for 10 month old toms?

[Arielle]

I have 4 young toms that started losing their breast feathers about 6 weeks ago and now are almost bare. THe area is also very puffed up as if filled with water, since early spring.

Are these boys healthy toms, or is there a problem that needs addressing???

 

[ivan3]

Jakes will go through some pretty serious molts. If the skin looks healthy and `oven ready' it is probably just precursor to adult feathering. If they spend most of their time pacing along and rubbing against fencing (chicken wire is particularly bad) and there are abrasions/bruising/spots of blood and scabbing then they probably need more room and welded wire fencing (chicken wire on nervous turkey breasts kinda works like a dull mandolin on tomatoes).

 

[wolfie115]

Toms usually have their breast full of air. It's quite normal actually. =3 They can't gobble very well if you squeeze it out. I discovered that one day when I hugged one of the boys and it sounded like he belched and it wreaked awful.

Note to self, turkeys have very bad breath.

 

[Arielle]

Jakes will go through some pretty serious molts. If the skin looks healthy and `oven ready' it is probably just precursor to adult feathering. If they spend most of their time pacing along and rubbing against fencing (chicken wire is particularly bad) and there are abrasions/bruising/spots of blood and scabbing then they probably need more room and welded wire fencing (chicken wire on nervous turkey breasts kinda works like a dull mandolin on tomatoes).

Maybe they are rubbing it on the fencing when they feel the need to bother the old tom. OTherwise these 4 young toms are cooped at night and free range all day. Maybe the fence walking while in the night coop is a problem too.

 

[Arielle]

Toms usually have their breast full of air. It's quite normal actually. =3 They can't gobble very well if you squeeze it out. I discovered that one day when I hugged one of the boys and it sounded like he belched and it wreaked awful.

Note to self, turkeys have very bad breath.

DO you mean his lungs are full of air??

THis is more like the breast area is all puffed out and full of water, maybe it's full of air??