Turkey Poults Sick (Update page 3)

[yesterDAYNE]

I have a week old turkey poult who I believe is blocked up. They aren't doing good. They've been crying a lot almost constantly for 2 days. I assumed it was because it was imprinted, and was just crying bc it missed me. I thought something might be wrong but I was afraid if I asked I'd just get told it was because it was imprinted. Now I realize that's not the reason, and I'm scared. I have a heat plate that heats up very warm, and I noticed last night it wouldn't sleep underneath it. I thought maybe there wasn't enough room, so I added a second heat plate. It still wouldn't sleep under it. I put them under it this morning before I left and they were under it when i came home.

I noticed it acting sluggish and yelling this morning. I thought maybe it wasn't eating enough, so I put food where it could get to it easily and it ate. I've seen it drink, the water has sav-a-chick probiotics and electrolytes. I just moved them onto wood shavings yesterday, but this chick has been yelling since it was on doggy pee pads. They have access to chick grit. After I got home from work, I checked on it again and it's just very lethargic. Screams whenever it's held or not, doesn't matter. I felt around on it's abdomen and noticed it felt hard, and it had the smallest spot of poop stuck to its vent hidden under it's down. I feel so stupid that I didn't check. I removed the stuck poop, but nothing else came.

I've soaked their belly in warm water, tried a warm water enema with a small syringe and nothing came out, dripped some sugar water, gave it a tiny drip of olive oil in its beak, massaged it's abdomen, and so far nothing. They are very lethargic. Please, is there anything else I can try and do? They are sleeping next to me with a heater on them at the moment. I don't want to stress them out too much and cause them to die via that, but I also don't want them to die because I waited too long to help.

If I need to take any pictures of the vent and abdomen let me know and I will. Thank you.

Edit; I just remembered, I believe this chick is one who ate a dead leaf outside about 3 or so days ago. They've had free access to grit ever since I took them outside however, so I assumed it wouldn't be an issue. Did they not eat enough grit maybe?

EDIT 2: I have been updating in the thread, current update is on page 2 and I need help knowing if I can give corid after giving nutridrench. Thanks!

 

[R2elk]

We brought in a heat lamp and set it up instead. Its measuring about 95 at ground level. 2 are still lethargic. I don't know what I should do- I don't want to watch another one or two die. They have food and water at easy access now.

That is too hot for week old poults. I start my poults at 90°F measured at the bedding level. At a week old they are down to 85°F. As hot as yours are I recommend lowering that temperature to 90°F.

FYI, dead and drying tree leaves can contain toxic compounds. Cherry leaves in particular can be harmful.

Based on the bloody poop, I recommend that you immediately start treatment with Corid.

 

[Feathyr]

No worries; I completely understand and didn't take any offense. I'm just sorry I couldn't be of more help!

ETA: I found this thread concerning coccidia and probiotics:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...after-giving-them-corid-for-coccidia.1210176/

The second post states:

You could give the probiotics at the same time. Vitamin supplementation should wait for the day after or it could interfere with the Corid's effectiveness as it literally starves the coccidia (a protozoa that lives in almost all soil) from being able to metabolize vitamin B.

If you are still seeing blood in the stools, I would continue the Corid. I think 10 days is the minimum treatment time.

Technically you don't feed medicated feed and the Corid too, as it is the same med (Amprolium), but the concentration in the feed is low, so it is simply over kill rather than truly dangerous.

So glad you were able to save the Barred baby. And, I agree, keep a close watch on her. After they have cleared this round of coccidiosis, you will need to rebuild gut flora with probiotics. I also recommend keeping a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, raw with mother, in the plastic water container. It feeds the good gut bacteria that keep the coccidia in check. (BTW, it would be a very early case of coccidiosis if it started at 2 weeks of age??? Usually coccidia take 4 weeks to go through reproductive cycle and build to dangerous levels, though some strains are faster. Often early onset illness can be from gram negative bacterial overgrowth left from hatching, eColi and Salmonella and Pasturella infections....but I'm glad the Corid worked.)

LofMc

Granted, this is for chickens, but I'd imagine this would apply to a turkey's digestive system as well.

 

[Feathyr]

My bad, I didn't realize that. I honestly think you've done everything you can at this point - it's very difficult to pinpoint exactly what is wrong with them.

This is going to sound cruel, but - if you have the stomach for it - I strongly advise doing an autopsy. That will, at the least, possibly show what went wrong so you can prevent it in the future. I had to do it once to one of my favorite roosters. Didn't enjoy it at all, but was very grateful for what I learned. (He died of blackhead / histomonaisis.)

 

[yesterDAYNE]

Just thought I'd give an update!

The last 2 are still alive. The darker red bronze is doing better, walking around and eating and drinking a lot, and also even jumping on top of the heat plate! It still has minor issues swallowing it looks like, but I'm slightly hopeful for a recovery.

The blue red bronze is about the same. Very shaky on her feet, can't lift her head above her back, and spends a lot of time sleeping. I bring her out from under the plate sometimes to eat and drink and she does, but she has trouble swallowing, I assume because she can't lift her head up to swallow like birds usually do. I'm hoping maybe she's just weak and after eating and drinking more she'll regain strength, but another part of me feels like it's something neurological.

I started them all on corid last night. The other 4 who didn't get sick are all still active and running around. No loud yelling unless I leave the room, which I expect, so heres to hoping they don't suddenly take a turn for the worse either.

 

[Eggcessive]

Try to get the poult drinking a lot of water, and you can dip it’s beak into it. Mix some feed with water as well. If it will peck at some small chips of coconut oil that has been refrigerated, that can help. Unfortunately when some get pasty butt, it can be hard to clear up if they are already acting weak. What is the temperature of the place where you are keeping them?

 

[Feathyr]

ETA: Re-read the post; didn't see the part about the pee pads.
What feed do they access to? Did they have access to anything when they were outside? Grass?

First thing I would do is fast them - they don't need any more feed in their systems, just water. They sound severely dehydrated. I know it's important not to stress them, but I would suggest (gently) giving them small amounts of water with a syringe.

 

[Feathyr]

Could be that the grass / leaves were too long for their digestive systems to handle and it's plugged them up.

ETA: Do you have a deeper dish to give them? Like a bowl you could fill with marbles to raise the water level? I used to use shallow drinking trays, then switched to tapered (Lixit, specifically) after I realized they were too shallow for my birds to dip their beaks in. They couldn't get a full beakful of water and had to work twice as hard.

 

[Feathyr]

I actually don't know - used chick grit for years and I've never had any problems related to it. I wonder if I they mistook it for food and filled up on it? When you mentioned the bloody stool my first thought was coccidiosis, but I don't know enough about it to make any conclusions. (Besides, I don't think it causes hard / impacted abdomens.)

This might be a crap shoot, but you could take the remaining sick one and put it in an epsom salt soak for 10-15 min. (Don't syringe it with the solution; might cause more harm than help at this point.)

I'm really sorry you're having to experience this, especially with your first batch of poults. Keep us posted.

 

[yesterDAYNE]

My bad, I didn't realize that. I honestly think you've done everything you can at this point - it's very difficult to pinpoint exactly what is wrong with them.

This is going to sound cruel, but - if you have the stomach for it - I strongly advise doing an autopsy. That will, at the least, possibly show what went wrong so you can prevent it in the future. I had to do it once to one of my favorite roosters. Didn't enjoy it at all, but was very grateful for what I learned. (He died of blackhead / histomonaisis.)

It's okay. Thank you so much for trying to help. I really appreciate it. My turkeys are my pets so I am extremely devastated over this, I'm sorry if I'm coming off harsh or anything.

I'm not sure I can stomach it, but I work at a vet clinic so I might see if someone there would do it for me.