"Stargazing" turkey poult?

[wolfie115]

So this year we have encountered a view issues with our baby turkeys, we already lost one that refused to eat or drink but this one is acting really strange. He is still eating and drinking, I catch him doing it every so often but almost every time I go to visit them he throws his head up, looking straight up, and starts waving his head around and walking backwards. We did a little research and I guess a lack of thiamine? (i think that was it) can cause them to "stargaze." I'm just wondering if anyone has had this issue and if/how they corrected it? What can I give him to help him out? They are only about a week old.

 

[ivan3]

I assume they are on the 28-30% protein starter. I'd guess genetic (inability to process/use specific nutrients). Try Polyvisol Enfamil (without iron) liquid vitamins - three drops a day for a week and taper off. I can't find the thread, but another member had this happen and several survived. So long as it is eating and drinking and not completely losing its ability to get around, I'd probably try to save it - though I wouldn't let it breed.

Good luck!

 

[chicks and hens2]

So this year we have encountered a view issues with our baby turkeys, we already lost one that refused to eat or drink but this one is acting really strange. He is still eating and drinking, I catch him doing it every so often but almost every time I go to visit them he throws his head up, looking straight up, and starts waving his head around and walking backwards. We did a little research and I guess a lack of thiamine? (i think that was it) can cause them to "stargaze." I'm just wondering if anyone has had this issue and if/how they corrected it? What can I give him to help him out? They are only about a week old.

Thiamine is a "B" vitamin which is water soluble. You could pick up liquid Vitamin B supplement, what the body can't use it washes out. Giving JUSt vitamin B supplement means you wouldn't be over medicating with other Non-water Soluble vitamins which could become toxic ( those would be Vitamins "D, A, K, and E.) Hope this helps

 

[pips&peeps]

Yesterday I had a poult that had a serious kink in it's neck. I assumed it was either a vitamin deficiency or botulism.

So I immediately pulled it from the brooder and gave it some molasses water and a few drops of vitamin B supplement.

It took about 12 hours but the little one looks 95% better this morning. I will keep it in a brooder by itself until the end of the day until I can see if it is well enough to go back in with the others.

I cleaned the brooder again, since I just cleaned it 2-3 days ago and all the other birds seem to be fine. The poult did have nasty poo late last night so I hope everything works out.

These are my first turkeys besides some hatchery birds I had years ago.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I hadn't heard that term in a while. Sorry to hear about your poult. It's cause by either injury or vitamin deficiency. Sounds like he is on his way to recovery. Good job.

 

[wolfie115]

Okay, so we added some vitamin/electrolyte mix to his water that had thiamine in it, also gave him some crushed up cereal that also had it in there. He's still "stargazing" but it doesn't seem as intense. I don't know what happened with our poults this year, we had 8 hatch in the incubator and they all seemed fine with two being "iffy" (one of the iffy ones being the stargazer and another that was kinda runtie compared to the others). Well one after another we lost five, all of them being "healthy" looking birds. They were typical hyper active healthy looking birds, I'd notice them suddenly looking weak then within hours they would die. The three we have left one has always seemed healthy and then we have the stargazer and the little runtie guy, all of which are doing well except for the stargazers bouts.

After the last one died I cleaned out and bleached the brooder, all seems well so far. I also replaced our heat light, I don't think it was producing as much heat as it was supposed to, not sure if that was the cause since we also had two little bantam chicks sharing the light (but not the brooder) and they are fine.

Also, another interesting thing. One of our hens hatched some poults, I noticed one was the same color as the stargazer we have in the house, he was kinda an oddball so I was happy about that...well come to find out this poult (of the same color) is also stargazing. He hasn't been hatched long enough to even eat anything so I'm not so sure about the thiamine deficiency or is it something genetic? They other poults are acting fine, just these two.

We have two new birds since last year. We have never lost baby turkeys, ever, so this year is just really weird for us. Last year was the first time we hatched our own, and we have raised BBW's 3 other year prior and never lost any like this. Maybe we just lucked out till now? I have no idea, but I am concerned.

 

[ivan3]

Thanks for the additional info. I'd probably switch to something like Rooster Booster: http://www.abetterchicken.com/product/50701 or any other poultry supplement that contains the trace mineral Manganese (also implicated but usually a deficiency in the hen).

Were the hen's diets different this year? I read about this problem being seen in specific inbred lines (genetically moderated inability to utilize certain nutrients) of commercial BB's, `stargazing' stance is also seen in blind, or nearly so, poults.

Hoping the supplements will do the trick and all your survivors make it.

 

[wolfie115]

So the three remainders are doing well, we've had to other clutches hatch and they seem to be doing fine. The one that was star-gazing hasn't done it since it was like 2 days old. We did however have a poult in that clutch that had deformed legs, he sadly didn't make it. His outer toes were curved inward and his knees? seemed larger than usual and when he walked they would lock up. It was rather odd.

But my stargazer is still stargazing. He is keeping up with the other two in with him though he looks scraggly from falling over. He'll act normal for a moment then take a drink off water and immediately pull his head back again. I've been giving him some vitamin B supplement that has Thiamine in it but it hasn't been making much of a difference. I know we are in an area that lacks Selenium and I wonder if that could be the issue? I know it causes issues in our horses and goats but wasn't sure if it might also affect the birds some how? What other things might have that Manganese like you suggested? I might have to try that rooster booster just to see but trying to also explore other options. :/ He's a sweet little turkey, sings whenever I go to pick him up. Hoping to help him some how. He acts like its some kind of muscle spasm that causes him to do it. His eyes also are perfectly clear.

 

[pips&peeps]

My poult is fine now. I put it back in with the others after about 36 hours and I can't tell which one it was.

 

[kuntrygirl]

My poult is fine now.  I put it back in with the others after about 36 hours and I can't tell which one it was.

Great news!!!