Quote:
When I was thinkng about getting turkeys, I was concerned about blackhead, and I was told by someone who knows turkeys, that because I also had had guineas for 5 years and they never got sick in with the chickens, that I would be ok. If you have guineas with your chickens as well, then you probably don't have blackhead.
Apparently they can get blackhead as well.
Have you considered it could be a change in feed? The poops look pretty normal.
Sue
Read the following, you will see the guinea are 3rd on the list of carriers of blackhead.....Main thing if free ranging together ,keep all birsd wormed ,as caecal worms carry blackhead, and earthworms are host to caecal worms.
It is common that veterinarians and other investigators are unable to find Heterakis worms associated with outbreaks in turkeys. If the above discussion is considered, then it would be logical that the infection comes from outside the flock, probably tracked inside by a worker on the shoes. The source of such contamination is most likely chickens, which are often found not too distant from the turkey flock.
A review of the literature shows that chickens, among the domestic gallinaceous birds, are the best hosts for Heterakis worms, and that the eggs produced by these worms in chickens are the best for causing disease when inoculated into turkeys. Lund and Chute (1969) found that young chickens were 16 times as effective as mature chickens in hosting caecal worms, and that young turkeys were almost negligible in this respect. Lund and Chute (1973) tested eight species of gallinaceous birds and found that the Chinese ringneck pheasant was the best host for caecal worms, followed by chickens and guinea fowl.
In modern poultry production, it is not unusual for farms used for one type of poultry to be converted to rearing of another type. Probably the most disastrous example is the conversion of broiler breeder farms to the rearing of turkeys. It is commonly agreed that all broiler breeder farms are heavily contaminated with caecal worm (Heterakis gallinarum) eggs, which are the only known biological vector of the blackhead organism. (Earthworms can harbour caecal worms until they are eaten by chickens or turkeys, but this is only an 'extra' reservoir of infection and not a necessary part of the life cycle). Such farms reportedly remain infective to turkeys for many years.
Last edited by deerman (01/29/2011 4:32 pm)
OK, but my point was, that if in 5 years, my guineas didn't get blackhead, the liklihood o the turkeys getting was less. I've had my turkeys now since November, and they are find and they are in with the chickens. THis is my experience.
Well almost nowhere. I went to 7 stores and only 1 store (the last store I visited) had Vitamin E gel caps with Selenium along with 999,999,999 other vitamins. Is E-400 with Selenium the same as Vitamin E with Selenium? The poor pharmacist had no idea. Is it the Vitamin E or the Selenium that will help the wry neck or a combination of both? The reason that I'm asking is because the Vitamin E only had 25mcg in it and the E-400 had 100 mcg of Selenium. I'm so confused. I guess that's what I get for going into an Organic Store.
