Sick Baby Turkeys.....Help Please

[FarmGirlPam]

I have a turkey hen who hatched out 12 little ones April 27th. Recently the little ones have started getting sick. Two days ago, we noticed one walking a bit behind the others and swaying (like it was drunk) when I was getting them to go back to their house for the night. The next morning, she seemed to be worse and got separated from all the other little ones and Momma. When I found her, she was worse and I put her up with food and water. I fed her with a dropper, but about 2 hours later she died. I have another little one who is doing the same thing this morning.

I have a large 12 x 16 hen house that my turkeys and chickens roost in and nest. They have a smaller lot attached to it that we keep them in when we are out of town, but the hen house and lot are surrounded by a larger fenced lot of about 2 acres they run around in when we are home. I have raised chickens from incubator to adult in this same lot and have not had any problems. Any help would be greatly appreciated. This is the first time we've had a Turkey hen hatch out little ones.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My first thought this time of year would be cocidiosis, I would check the droppings for blood. Otherwise what are the poults eating?

 

[FarmGirlPam]

I feed them chick starter food, dried mill worms and of course they are eating bugs and such in the field. I also have scratch gain, but the Momma Hen eats it, but the little ones don't seem to yet. The one that is sick now does not have blood in her droppings, it looks normal. Right before the other died, it almost looked like it was having a seizure, head jerking in odd ways. I actually thought one of the chickens might have pecked its head hard and caused some damage, but didn't see any marks on her. I'm hoping they are all not going to end up sick and die. I love my Turkeys.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

You don't happen to use pesticides, herbicides, or any other poisons around the property, do you?

 

[FarmGirlPam]

We also have bee's, so no, we don't use pesticides.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Nothing for weeds, ants, mice, etc? It just sounds very neurological.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I still would suspect cocidiosis, you are describing a weak unwell bird. Are where it's wet and rainy? Otherwise things like botulism can cause the same symptoms. Is there spots where you might have moldy feed, under feeders, or even maggots which have been feeding on dead animals?

 

[FarmGirlPam]

I use fire ant granules around the pool and play area, but the turkeys can't get to that area. Week killer, but not in or around that field. We have so many animals/pets that we try and be very careful what is used. The only thing we came up with is we have a shallow well that feeds a pond. The pond used to leak so it was used often. Since we corrected the leak, it has not been used in about 4-5 months. The well is actually in the field with the chickens and turkeys. We ran water through it about a week ago in the field and it had a bad odor (stagnate water). We are thinking they might have gotten into some of that. That was a week or so before the little turkeys started getting sick. We bought some antibiotics and start her on that yesterday. She's not getting worse, but not getting better yet. I can't get her to eat, but I am getting water in her.

 

[krystallonnie]

I have turkeys that is 6 weeks old,and they have started during,can someone please help me.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I have turkeys that is 6 weeks old,and they have started during,can someone please help me.

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