Metronidazole dosage + Valbazen (Blackhead)

[junglebird]

I read that the dose is a max of 50-65 mg/kg every 24 hours. But then I also read 50-65 mg/kg twice per day.

Which is correct?

(Edited title)

 

[junglebird]

And, besides grinding up and putting it the water, is there another way to feed the tablets to the turkeys?

I'm treating for suspected blackhead. I have turkeys living with chickens, chickens have never been wormed (autopsied meat bird showed no signs of infestation). However, a 5 week old turkey died 6 weeks ago and the autopsy revealed necrotic liver spots. Now I'm finding poo with bright yellow urates, and have seen one fellow standing with droopy wings and closing eyes. I think I've got this diagnosed properly?

 

[frostbite]

Don't forget to tell your hens to lay off the booze while they're taking that stuff. Causes severe nausea and vomiting. If you're using cheap boxed chablis instead of water in the winter because it has a lower freezing temperature, swap it back out with water till two weeks post treatment.

(scampers away giggling)

(that's what I do when I don't have the right answer)

(but metronizadole will do that to ya!)

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
Metronidazole dosage for turkey's: Give them two 250mg tablets down the throat the first day, then one 250mg tablet for the next 5 days. About a week later dose them with valbazen to kill the cecal worm that carries the protozoa. Redose again in 10 days with the valbazen. I recommend that you dose all your birds with valbazen and redose them again in 10 days.
Edited to add: I recommend seperating your chickens from your turkey's.

 

[junglebird]

Should've separated sick turkey yesterday. Found him being attacked by another poult this morning when I went out to let out turkeys and separate the sick guy. For the time being, I'll keep the turks in one coop, the chickens in another, and the sick guy in the "hospital coop".

All but the sick guy are still ranging together. I need them to be able to do that, so I'll keep taking the risk. I think my big mistake was putting the poults on the ground too early. I did it weeks ago, but I've now read, in this awesome manual on heritage turkeys from ALBC , that I should've waited till their immune system was better built at the age of 12 weeks, which is next week.

I smashed a tablet of Metronidazole into a crumb of hamburger, but the little guy was totally not interested. So, I ground another tablet into a little warm water and squirted it in his mouth. We'll see how he does.

I'm watching another poult to determine whether he's sick too. I only want to treat, and band, the sick ones, because I'd like to breed the ones who are resistant. If I treat them all, I kill my breeding plans. I will treat my entire flock with the Valbzen, however. They've never been wormed.

Should I go ahead and give the rest of the flock the valbazen today? Even the second poult I'm monitoring?

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
If you dont treat the rest of your turkeys with metronidazole, no need to use the valbazen, the protozoa will kill them first.

 

[Chicos Mama]

Also, you may want to try Cayenne pepper!

As much as you can get into them. I made up a batch of hard boiled eggs mixed in alot of Cayenne pepper (looked like Ausralian mud) and they gobbled it up! My one hen who hadnt been able to walk for 4 days, was up and waddling around the very next!
I put it in all their food as well as their water. I just had BOTH of my BBB hens come down with Blackhead and it turned them around by the very next day! I continued with this "treatment" for 5 days and all are well!
I also free-range my RR chickens with my Turkeys and Peking ducks and this is the first problem I have had in 3 yrs. The chickens are also on the Cayenne pepper in all their food as well. This is more of a natural way and all can eat this.
Im not saying its a science...just sharing what worked for me!
Good luck!

 

[dawg53]

I read your post regarding your turkey. More likely the sulmet and/or the safeguard liquid goat wormer that you used is what saved her.

 

[junglebird]

Well, the little guy died today.

I was definitely a day or two late getting the Metronidazole into him. I'm sorry, little guy.

As far as treating the rest of the turkeys, from what I've read:
blackhead doesn't produce 100% mortality. The protozoa does not survive stomach acid, and is believed to be transmitted via cecal worm eggs in droppings that are taken directly into the intestines via a rather disgusting mechanic called "cloacal drinking." The other pathway is by eating earthworms harboring the protozoa. Some percentage will either not get it, or will recover. Those are the birds I need to breed, or I'll be married to factory poults and antibiotics forever. Believe me, I LIKE the turkeys, they are like little puppies and are stealing my heart. But treating all of them (sans symptoms) will kill my breeding goals. Sure, it's possible they will all get sick, and I'll have to treat them all so we can eat them in 4 months, or I lose them all ... In either case, I'd have to start over. I honestly don't know what's the likelihood of that happening.

I've been using cayenne, and it does seem to reduce some of the funky poos. I believe the cayenne contributes to making a hostile environment for worms, but doesn't kill protozoa. Turkeys don't die from the histomoniasis (Blackhead), but from secondary infections caused by other naturally occurring bacteria (like salmonella) present in the intestines, that are normally not life threatening to an otherwise healthy bird.

 

[dawg53]

Sorry for your loss, good luck saving the others.