Swelling young Tom Turkey (16 weeks +/-)

[lauritawalters]

I recently acquired four young turkeys, hatched in April this year. They have been free range and hang together in a tight group. I had to leave town for two days and one night, and when I got home late last night, the youngsters had gone across the street into the alfalfa field and were nesting or whatever they do for the night where there is no roost. Three were normal, but one tom is swelling all over, and it's like he is full of air! They aren't exactly pets but they are not too scared either. I have not messed with him except to quarantine him with food and water, and shelter. He seems distressed by the loss of his flock but does not seem noticeably (to me) stressed by his condition. I have had a pair of turkeys for a year (until the hen met the fox) and have had no trouble until this. What can I do?

It is possible to get to a feed store but I do not know what they have for poultry. I used to ask the gal who had the other feed store in town, but I eventually learned she would sell you anything you were fool enough to buy whether it was good or bad, so I have stopped asking the feed store owners unless I already have a clue.

Thank you for any help/information you can give me.

 

[Ema]

sounds to me like he was poofing himself out to show he was a big tough TOM,

there isn't a whole lot of information to go by I guess because you just came back home. My males do this when they are telling me they do not like something, if they got out and then you came to retrieve them it could be that he didn't much want anyone near his flock, and was just trying to protect or simply showing his aggressive side. Watch him from affar is he is not poofed out then walk over to him, if he poofs himself out then he is showing you or trying to show you he is BOSS, at which time you need to look up ways on dealing with an aggressive TOM.

but int he chance he might be ill, go get antibiotics you can add to their water and treat them all not just one just to be on the safe side. I Used tetracycline 250, 1 mg/5 gallons of water