One of my turkey hens is behaving strange(graphic photos)

[bigoakshomestead]

Hello,

I'm new here(registered user) but I have been coming to BackYardChickens very often since I started my backyard chickens and turkeys. The reason I'm posting for the first time is because I'm concern one of my 22 months old turkey hens might be sick.
I noticed that one of my hens started to isolate herself a little bit from her flock. Up until a few days my 2 hens and the tom were hanging around and doing the fighting play, but a few days ago I noticed she started to look down, doesn't want to roost on the trees as the rest and she goes right into their "coop" as soon as it starts to get dark, usually I would be fighting them to get in that coop since all they want is to roost on the big tree by their enclosure.
This morning I noticed something strange and new that I haven't seen before and I have been observing her since she started to behave like that. It was a yellowish stool. She seems to have no lost her appetite, though she is not moving as she used to.
I also should say I keep my turkey flock with my chickens, they don't sleep together but they hangout the entire day.
Anyone has any idea on what could be happening to my girl? and if so what's could be the solution?

Thank you!

 

[TheDuckLover]

I'm so sorry to hear about your turkey! I have some myself, but I've only had to deal with Mycoplasma with my turkeys, but I've heard it's common among them. Are the eye's normal? I didn't notice anything different about the stool of my turkeys when they had Mycoplasma, but that's my only turkey-disease-forte. But I could be wrong, as they had it around 1 year and a 1/2 ago. But, this doesn't sound like Mycoplasma

Also, it's really weird, but one of my turkies prefer chickens over any other animal and go crazy if I put them in the pen with anyone else other than the chickens, and so far I've had no problems arise out of her hanging with my chickens. She has been in the same coop as them for 8 months.

I hope it gets better, but what I can recommend is to just google the symptoms, this is what I do. Or on this website even, they're are a bunch of helpful people here. I just know how it feels to watch your baby poultry get sick without anything you can do, so I just wanted to reply

 

[bigoakshomestead]

hey, thank you for your response!

I started to give them fish zole(metronidazole) and diatomaceous for deworming, the sick turkey is having some progress, hopefully, this is not going to be her call

Happy New Year!

 

[Bo Garrett]

She has blackhead. You need to separate your turkeys from your chickens and keep the turkeys on ground that chickens have not been on. Continue the antibiotic but it is a 50/50 chance of survival at best.

Blessings,

Bo

 

[bigoakshomestead]

Hey Bo, thank you for your response.

My turkeys and chickens hang around because they free range, but they don't sleep together. Actually now my turkeys don't even want to get into their "coop", they want to roost on a big tree in my yard, which turned out great to keep my sick hen isolated.

So I have been giving my sick turkey hen fish zole(metronidazole 500mg) for 3 days now and I think I might have started looking at some positive progress. I'm also giving my other two turkeys the same but in a smaller dosage since they are showing no sign of being sick but for prevention. I'm also putting diatomaceous on the entire flock feed.

Here is the first photo I took 4 days ago of my hen poop, and another one that I took this morning after been on the treatment for 3 days. I'm no vet but there are clear signs of improvement, right?

I have also noticed an improvement in her mood and she doesn't act lethargic anymore.

 

[Bo Garrett]

It would seem you are on the right track, keep up the good work. The blackhead is passed from the feces of the chickens into the ground and then picked up by the turkeys, once you have it the only recourse is to keep the turkeys separate on fresh ground not used by the chickens.

Blessings,

Bo