Sick Turkey

[nstilwater]

I have a sick turkey. My neighbor feeds my birds veggie scraps and i didnt know it at the time but he gave them a bunch of onion sraps. (I dont give them onions) the next morning the turkey was laying in the coop and only got up when i spread some scratch on the ground. ate a few pecks and then layed back down. i took it in the house and fed and watered in a Dog crate for the day. It reeked of onions...thats how i found out about the onions. It seemed ok in the evening, paced alot and vocalized like normal. I put it back out in the coop after dark and it hopped up to top roost like normal and seemed fine. today it was sick again. laying on ground with wings spread out got up to eat when i fed them but then almost choked on food and i had to massage its throat to help it swallow.. i brought it back in the house and it is in a dog crate again. ANy advice would be apreciated i am a vet tech but new to turkeys.

 

[Frosty]

If your turkey is a hen, it may not be sick. It could be squatting for breeding and have picked you as a potential mate.

Editing to add that I have a hen that was squatting every time I went in so I was worried for a while - she is in the hen house with the chickens. Mine is a broad breasted so I thought she was developing leg problems but every night she goes up on the roost which is only a few feet off of the ground. One day I leaned over and rubbed along her back and under her wings. When I was done and stood up, she got up, ruffled her feathers, and walked away. I think the lights in the hen house are affecting her, and she has been laying eggs.

 

[nstilwater]

it is a hen but she was down on the ground before i ever got out there.....i could see her from about 30 yards away on the other side of the pig pen

 

[ivan3]

Wonder what else was in the parings. Was this fresh stuff or does your neighbor collect it up for a week and toss it in? Our hens, in particular, eat the heck out of both Wild Garlic and Wild chives/onion vegetative growth (and, yes, they stink like onions) without incident. They completely ignored Vidalia/Bermuda gleanings so we quit tossing them out.

You could try adding a teaspoon of vinegar to two cups of water (will slightly decrease both good/bad bacterial load in crop), also could try a couple of eyedroppers of mineral oil . If she starts regurgitating fluid/develops foul smelling breath do a search in emergencies for impacted/sour crop for more ideas.

Do your turks have ready access to grit? Adult turks can use rough little stones up to .5" in diameter for grinding down tough stuff that makes it down and out of crop.

Keep an eye on water intake and droppings. I'd probably try finely chopped canned peaches+crushed hard boiled eggs and meal worms if not completely blocked up. If you have an old script of Nystatin oral suspension around you could try painting the meal worms with some (antifungal).

Am assuming this is related to unauthorized/possibly contaminated feed (tell neighbor to keep it on their side of fence). If other symptoms develop please post them up.

Good luck!

 

[nstilwater]

Quote:
Thank you for your advice. She was fine again today and had eaten all her food and water. i put her out in the coop during the day and checked on her several times. when i first put her out i went in the coop and she was in the run. she stood out there and made her normal noises and walked around until i walked out and then she immediatley dropped down to the ground. i went back in the coop and she got up the the rooster walked out and he dropped down again. he did his business so to speak and all was well for ten minutes then she did it again. sooo....... i thinkshe is in love with me. every time i checked on her she was normal unless she seen me or the dominate rooster. now i just need my younger tom to mature. Thank you everyone for your help. I told you i was new with turkeys lol..

 

[java girl 2]

Quote:
Thank you for your advice. She was fine again today and had eaten all her food and water. i put her out in the coop during the day and checked on her several times. when i first put her out i went in the coop and she was in the run. she stood out there and made her normal noises and walked around until i walked out and then she immediatley dropped down to the ground. i went back in the coop and she got up the the rooster walked out and he dropped down again. he did his business so to speak and all was well for ten minutes then she did it again. sooo....... i thinkshe is in love with me. every time i checked on her she was normal unless she seen me or the dominate rooster. now i just need my younger tom to mature. Thank you everyone for your help. I told you i was new with turkeys lol..

if you let your neighbor give them vegs, tell him to NOT GIVE THE BIRDS POTATO PEALS. THE POTATOS WILL MAKE THEM SICK OR EVEN KILL THEM!!!!!

 

[ivan3]

Suspected Frosty's dx of `love sickness' was the correct one. One thing to be aware of with this `disease'. They completely lose sight of potential danger. One afternoon, I came across a six foot Black Rat snake wound up in the high grass near a hog bowl of water. As I reached down to pick it up and carry it off into the woods, up lopes the Slate hen and she `assumes the position' on top of the snake. The Ratter uncoiled and slithered out from under the hen and she sorta gave out with a wimpy ground pred. bark (at any other time of year she and the other hens would harass and try to kill the snake). I picked her up and tucked her under one arm, carrying her off to the run; like moving down field with a purring football...

It is usually a good idea to tell everyone that they are just trying to make friends...

 

[ColbyNTX]

She is assuming the possition! Little hussy!!!!!!!!

She is not sick at all!

 

[nstilwater]

Quote:
Thank you for your advice. She was fine again today and had eaten all her food and water. i put her out in the coop during the day and checked on her several times. when i first put her out i went in the coop and she was in the run. she stood out there and made her normal noises and walked around until i walked out and then she immediatley dropped down to the ground. i went back in the coop and she got up the the rooster walked out and he dropped down again. he did his business so to speak and all was well for ten minutes then she did it again. sooo....... i thinkshe is in love with me. every time i checked on her she was normal unless she seen me or the dominate rooster. now i just need my younger tom to mature. Thank you everyone for your help. I told you i was new with turkeys lol..

if you let your neighbor give them vegs, tell him to NOT GIVE THE BIRDS POTATO PEALS. THE POTATOS WILL MAKE THEM SICK OR EVEN KILL THEM!!!!!

what is the matter with potatos? i have always given them potato skins, so have my grandparents

 

[java girl 2]

Quote:
if you let your neighbor give them vegs, tell him to NOT GIVE THE BIRDS POTATO PEALS. THE POTATOS WILL MAKE THEM SICK OR EVEN KILL THEM!!!!!

what is the matter with potatos? i have always given them potato skins, so have my grandparents

if they are cooked potato skins then they are fine. if they are not cooked, they have a poison in the potato, It will make the one who eats it sick or can kill it. This is why all potatoes are cooked before eating for us. the same go's for any animals as well!!!