Turkey poult sick?

[Darkladybritt]

This afternoon, my turkey poult (fall fire/auburn mix, a little over a week old) pooped a white foamy poop and then did this one a little later. She was acting fine when she pooped this (active and wanted to snuggle and climb my partner) but now she scratched out all her food and is laying in her food bowl under the heat lamp after a few hours. The only thing we did differently today was I swapped her food from DuMor turkey starter/grower to Kalambach medicated turkey starter/grower. Are my husband and I just paranoid and overreacting since we’ve lost a couple turkeys in the past month that we loved dearly, or is there something wrong that we need to take care of ASAP? She’s in a brooder by herself and hasn’t had any contact with any of the rest of our flock.

Thanks!

 

[nchls school]

Likely just the result of a new feed, but watch to see if it continues. I do not think you're being paranoid-not when it comes to turkey poults. The first two weeks are the hardest and after that it's usually smooth sailing. I have 12 under two weeks old; just 4 more days to go. Yes, older poults can get sick, just not the keel over dead kind of way.

 

[casportpony]

Do you have any Corid?

 

[nchls school]

Corid is a good idea. Even without contact with other birds coccidiosis is still possible through contaminated feeders, waterers, bedding, and many items from outside that might have been contaminated by other poultry. Hands too, if you forgot to wash after feedings and handled the poult.

 

[Darkladybritt]

Likely just the result of a new feed, but watch to see if it continues. I do not think you're being paranoid-not when it comes to turkey poults. The first two weeks are the hardest and after that it's usually smooth sailing. I have 12 under two weeks old; just 4 more days to go. Yes, older poults can get sick, just not the keel over dead kind of way.

Her poo is starting to look normal and more solid. We gave her the dumor back when we first caught everything and she ate it the rest of the night/scratched it out. Once her food dish was empty we refilled it with a mix of DuMor and medicated and we had a little yellow foam on one of her poops. Most have looked healthy. We think/hope it was this. She’s still acting normal and active. She’s hopping around in her box and climbing my husband like a jungle gym.

Do you have any Corid?

Yes! We bought it after our first turkey died, because we didn’t do a necropsy and weren’t sure what got her. The breeder we get our turkeys from said it was heat, but we gave the corid to the rest of the flock anyway as a precaution. We spritzed a teeny amount (a mL at most, we used a syringe and her water dish is small) in her water when we saw the white foam first. If it is the coccidiosis I HOPE we caught it early enough to do something.

 

[R2elk]

Once her food dish was empty we refilled it with a mix of DuMor and medicated

Do not mix medicated feed with non-medicated feed. The medicated feed has the proper amount of medication in it. By mixing it with non-medicated feed, you lower the level of medication below its effective amount. This is worse than not giving any medication as it can lead to medication resistance.

Most poultry medicated feeds use amprolium which is Corid. If you want to feed a non- medicated feed and want to treat for coccidiosis, use Corid.

 

[casportpony]

One of my vets told me that foamy poop is a sign of a protozoa infection. Coccidia is a protoza. Blackhead is too, but if this poult has not been around other fowl, coccidiosis is more likely.

 

[Darkladybritt]

Do not mix medicated feed with non-medicated feed. The medicated feed has the proper amount of medication in it. By mixing it with non-medicated feed, you lower the level of medication below its effective amount. This is worse than not giving any medication as it can lead to medication resistance.

Most poultry medicated feeds use amprolium which is Corid. If you want to feed a non- medicated feed and want to treat for coccidiosis, use Corid.

What would be the easiest way to transition her to the medicated food without making her stomach upset if that was the cause then, and not coccidiosis? We do have the corid in the water though on top of the mix.

 

[R2elk]

What would be the easiest way to transition her to the medicated food without making her stomach upset if that was the cause then, and not coccidiosis? We do have the corid in the water though on top of the mix.

If you have the Corid in the water, you don't need the medicated feed.

 

[casportpony]

If you have the Corid in the water, you don't need the medicated feed.

But it's okay to give medicated feed and medicated water.