Turkey flesh looking pale, should I be worried?

[Jocasta]

Hey. I have four c. 10wk turkey poults (I can't remember exactly how old they are - how bad is that!). I *think* they are all boys as they are all developing beards. The snoods and nodules, basically all the fleshy bits, are all very pale pink. I would have expected them to be redder tbh. Does this mean they're ill? Should I be worried? I'm, especially worried as they are kept with chickens...

TIA

 

[Alexander]

10 week old and it has a beard?

Mine is a year old and his beard is just an inch!

Don't worry about the colour.The toms can make either pale pink,bright red or blue or combinations of them.\\

They are amazing...

 

[MissTurkey4]

The beard is the hairy black growth on the chest of male turkeys and a few strange hens.
Google Turkey Anatomy for a picture of turkeys. I think you talking about the wattle and not a beard. Hens are pale. Toms change color depending on their mood.

 

[Alexander]

I know what a beard is I just forgot to mention I was talking about the colour of the snood and wattles.

I am just saying that how can a 10 week old have a beard when my started developing one in the age of 11 months?

 

[Jocasta]

Oh the shame lol! I thought it was that great big fleshy bit under the neck - not the bit that looks a bit stretched that hens have too - the bolbous bit - does that make even the slightest bit of sense? Lol. They are all developing those which are far less red than any of the photos I've seen. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, firstly congratulations haha and secondly, what's it called?

 

[MissTurkey4]

Alaxander, Did you think my post was to you? LOL

 

[Alexander]

Oh sorry.

 

[MissTurkey4]

I think everyone need to quit reading about blackhead. To much Panic.

Babies are not full of color as adults. Do they seem paler than they were before? Can you post a picture?

 

[Jocasta]

I will try and get some photos later - got a houseful of roudy kids at the mo! They're gonna start lynch mobbing me for food soon haha! They are paler than they were before, at least I think they are. They are also looking a bit blue/grey in the head. From what I gather though, this can be normal? Also a bit concerned because someone on another forum told me I was irresponsible letting 10week olds touch the ground... Told me I was asking for trouble... They seemed so robust though and indoor space is an issue...

 

[Jocasta]

To update anyone who is interested and who hasn't seen the "hope this saves a turkey from blackhead" thread, turns out my birds do indeed have blackhead.

It's all well and good suggesting that people should stop reading about blackhead because there's "too much panic" but that hype is there for a reason. Blackhead is a very real risk, one I wish I hadn't taken. I originally was planning on dusting the ground I'd picked out for the turkeys with quicklime as there had been chickens freeranging on that land, and penning the turkeys up separately. However, reading posts from many different people on here made me feel very silly, like it was such a small risk I was being ridiculous. Ultimately though, I know it was my fault. I guess I wanted to believe I could house them together as this was the easiest scenario. I need to own that decision.

I wish I'd stuck to my guns tbh, and however small that risk was, I for one wish I hadn't taken it (as does pretty much everyone who went against the "don't let turkeys run with chickens" rule who's turkeys succumbed to blackhead).

Most of what I have read has suggested that the only med effective in the treatment of blackhead (Emtryl) is now outlawed and impossible to come by and without it, blackhead is 100% fatal with young birds. This may still turn out to be the case with my own birds but the tips in the other thread are showing some improvement in my birds. Fingers crossed they pull through. I've been dusting their food and water with generous quantities of cayenne pepper which I believe bought me time more than anything, and have since started them on Metronidazole which seems to be having an affect as their heads are all pinking up.

Please keep your fingers crossed for my birds.