Sick Royal Palm Tom

[Jersey Girl]

At first I hoped he was just moulting, but he is very listless, lethargic, either tries to hide or won't come down off of his perch all day. His head and snood is getting darker. I googled turkey diseases and maybe it's blackhead and maybe it's erysipelas, though his symptoms don't completely match either. He is in coop with other fowl and his mate just had 9 poults, she is near but seperated. I won't be taking him to a vet but any ideas as to what this is and more importantly, how contagious? I can post pics if that would help, and thanks for any advice.

 

[ivan3]

He really needs to be separated out and provided a location where you can determine how much he is eating and drinking, and be able to examine droppings more closely; and protect the rest of the flock from anything that might be contagious. How sudden was the onset of this behavior? I read your post regarding the aggressive Emu. Does the Emu and the tom share the same space? Toms can get very `depressed' if `whipped' by other toms and will mope and isolate for several days, sometimes. Does the Emu attack or worry other poultry (tom in particular)?

 

[Jersey Girl]

Yes, I do have him segregated. He's drinking a lot and his poop is runny, yellow and sulfery looking, both symptoms I have read of several turkey diseases. He actually looks much better, head not blue and he's walking around more rather than hunkered down in a corner, but I'm not letting him out. He fights with a rooster from time to time and initially I thought that was the problem here but it's obviously much more than that, and he's never even met the emu as she only came along 3 days ago. BTW, she's not aggressive at all, just doesn't know how to modulate her inquisitiveness, i.e. pecking too hard. Now that she and the dog have bonded it's not as much my problem any more ; )) So based on those symptoms do you have an idea which disease he might have? Thanks for your reply.

 

[ivan3]

Thanks for the additional info. I'd be collecting droppings and taking it to our vet so as to find out exactly what I was dealing with (but this is not always possible). Histomoniasis requires treatment of the turk with Metronidazole for acute disease, worming of other poultry and remediation of the soil so as to decrease the likelihood of the protozoan's primary transport vectors (`worms') from continuing to allow reexposure. If it is not blackhead, then the treatment might not be so intensive.

Without a definitive Diagnosis, I'd default to treating for blackhead (long thread, but covers most everything): https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/804570/coping-with-blackhead

Good luck!

 

[Jersey Girl]

Thanks, I don't get notified when i get replies... I still have him segregated, many symptoms the same though he seems healthier...Interestingly he stands in the water dish...and if I have to pick him up to move him he pukes nasty smelling stuff. I'm sorry, I don't do vetwork on turkeys that were rescued from Thanksgiving....... )