Turkey keep dying with yellow poo

[Pennys Mama]

It's hard doing this with my turkey poult. I only had 3 poults that I hatched for pets & yard monitors... lost 2 last week & this weekend. I've been treating the 3rd one for the last couple of days, ever since the poo urate turned yellow. I'm hopeful that he'll survive, but I'm faced with the knowledge that I still have to part with him. I don't want him to just get sick again later. I have chickens & I'm sure that's where my poults got sick from, as they were fine until I turned them out with the flock. Good luck to you with your remaining birds. I say no more turkey business for me. He's such a sweet little guy!

 

[mitrausahatani]

@mitrausahatani, this person is going through the same thing with their poults:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/yellow-urate-lethargy-in-poult.1349852/

to be honest, im confused at this moment, still reading and trying to get deeper information regarding the seriousness of blackhead...the location of our barn is in top of a mountain where our company use geothermal activity for generating electricity for the country,no internet, phone signal or even people or person around our post/warehouse..its literally jungle you can see wild animals like monkey, snake and stuff that's why we came up with idea raising turkey and planting fruit ..to kill the time, it's not for economic purposes

none of us have knowledge in poultry, and i just found out this disease (blackhead) ..i thought it just a common disease and not serious one ....there's lot of wild animal here , wild bird and chicken ..they could get infected since one of my crew also making bird feeder and maybe somehow spread it to commercial farm..i don't know

 

[casportpony]

to be honest, im confused at this moment, still reading and trying to get deeper information regarding the seriousness of blackhead...the location of our barn is in top of a mountain where our company use geothermal activity for generating electricity for the country,no internet, phone signal or even people or person around our post/warehouse..its literally jungle you can see wild animals like monkey, snake and stuff that's why we came up with idea raising turkey and planting fruit ..to kill the time, it's not for economic purposes

none of us have knowledge in poultry, and i just found out this disease (blackhead) ..i thought it just a common disease and not serious one ....there's lot of wild animal here , wild bird and chicken ..they could get infected since one of my crew also making bird feeder and maybe somehow spread it to commercial farm..i don't know

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Can you contact a veterinary college in India, one that has a poultry program? I think they could alleviate some of your fears.

 

[Eggcessive]

@mitrausahatani you are getting the best advice possible on this forum from @casportpony who has experience with turkeys and blackhead disease.

 

[casportpony]

@mitrausahatani, I don't think you need to worry. This is not the type of disease that requires one to exterminate their entire flock. Here in the US, we have some diseases, like Exotic Newcastle, Pollorum, and bird flu, which are reportable, which means the government requires flock euthanasia, but blackhead does not, not even close.

Try contacting this place:
https://www.uasbangalore.edu.in
If you cannot get any help or advice there, I can get you the email address of my avian pathologist. He's from India and speaks Hindi, so that might help.

Bottom line. I do not think that you need to worry about this. What it does mean though is that your property has blackhead and unless you want to invest in medications that you should probably avoid raising turkeys and peafowl.

 

[Molpet]

Does the farmer the turkeys came from feed red pepper?
Some people believe it prevents blackhead
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hope-this-saves-a-turkey-from-blackhead.134230/

 

[Shadrach]

What it does mean though is that you property has blackhead and unless you want to invest in medications that you should probably avoid raising turkeys and peafowl.

Which is what I've been trying to point out.
So, if they can't keep turkeys there isn't a lot of point in buying the set of drugs you recommend, going through the treatment, possibly, although unlikely, saving this ones life only to find that the same thing happens over again is there?

 

[casportpony]

Which is what I've been trying to point out.
So, if they can't keep turkeys there isn't a lot of point in buying the set of drugs you recommend, going through the treatment, possibly, although unlikely, saving this ones life only to find that the same thing happens over again is there?

Blackhead is very manageable. I have it here and I manage to raise turkeys and peafowl that free range with chickens. All one needs is metronidazole, enrofloxacin, a de-wormer, and a keen eye that can spot the onset of the disease. Blackhead does not need to be a death sentence for a flock, and it does not require flock euthanasia, though I guess one could do that, then wait three years before acquiring fowl of any type.

 

[Shadrach]

Blackhead is very manageable. I have it here and I manage to raise turkeys and peafowl that free range with chickens. All one needs is metronidazole, enrofloxacin, a de-wormer, and a keen eye that can spot the onset of the disease. Blackhead does not need to be a death sentence for a flock, and it does not require flock euthanasia, though I guess one could do that, then wait three years before acquiring fowl of any type.

I wouldn't argue with any of that.
However, it would be good if BYC was noted for rational and sensible advice and in this case, by your own admission, and most authorities I've read on the subject, the advice to kill the infected turkey and not get any more, plus adhere to decent biosecurity measures is the correct advice.
This is the advice I gave.

 

[Molpet]

Blackhead is very manageable. I have it here and I manage to raise turkeys and peafowl that free range with chickens. All one needs is metronidazole, enrofloxacin, a de-wormer, and a keen eye that can spot the onset of the disease. Blackhead does not need to be a death sentence for a flock, and it does not require flock euthanasia, though I guess one could do that, then wait three years before acquiring fowl of any type.

Not sure if the locals can afford all these drugs
Also in the USA the drugs are banned for meat turkeys. Must be a reason.
I will use as close to natural as possible for a preventative. I have used corid for coccidiosis, but that's the only drug.
I figured if it takes a lot of drugs to keep them alive they are not very hardy in my area.