Turkey Talk for 2014

[JWEBB]

I am fairly new to turkeys and I have a question for you guys. My Tom seems to have air on his breast area which I am assuming it is his crop. I have dealt with sour crop in chickens and this doesn't feel quite the same. The chickens were fluid filled but this feels like air filled. Any ideas???

Could it be from a injury? like doves or pigeons get the air sac rupture? Is it in the normal place for the crop? If it were me, I would check him over, sounds like you have.

If you think it may be a sour crop fast him with just water for 24 hours in case something is stuck in the crop etc. You can put a little apple cider vinegar in the waterer this helps with fungus and things that may be a problem and is a good tonic.

But I think turkeys use the air to make their noises ? I think there is a thread on BYC about Balloon crop.. and it was said it was a normal occurence for Toms. Glad I saw this question, I won't freak out when I see it myself !

You know and just make sure he is acting normal, eating drinking and all..

 

[JWEBB]

I am fairly new to turkeys and I have a question for you guys. My Tom seems to have air on his breast area which I am assuming it is his crop. I have dealt with sour crop in chickens and this doesn't feel quite the same. The chickens were fluid filled but this feels like air filled. Any ideas???

Here it is... about the balloon crop and making noise with it

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/260783/is-a-balloon-crop-normal

 

[NewToFarming]

Here it is... about the balloon crop and making noise with it

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/260783/is-a-balloon-crop-normal

Thank you so much!!! Now I can stop worrying!!! He has been eating and drinking normally, trying to keep up with the girls (They run him ragged) LOL But yes, he seems fine otherwise so far. It did not feel like a sour crop in chickens and that is why it had me stumped!

 

[Reyvaughn]

So that's the cause of noise I get when I pick mine up and maul him... I pet and feel his breast thinking, "Mmmm. If you turn mean, I can't wait to taste these...: I always thought maybe he was sick or something (maybe I am, now that I think of it)... But it only happened when I pick him up... It was almost like a gurgled growl, lol!

 

[Momhunter]

IT is quite possible-- hen is on the job but mr has not been inspired yet-- so early eggs perhaps were not fertilized, they would be clears if not fertilized.  Clears can also be very early death of fertilized eggs.  If you are a first time hatcher of poults, with experience the hatch rate will improve.  I dry hatch, then up the moisture after I am certainthe air cell is very large and appropriate from a turkey egg at  18+7 days. SOme eggs are very large and need to have greater water loss than a smaller turkey egg. 

I've only been hatching for a year. Last year I had no issues with my quail or chickens but only had about 60% hatch rate with my peas. Now had bad hatch with my first turkeys.
I remove the clears when I candle at two weeks. All six eggs had moving chicks in them when put into lockdown. How large should the air cell be???
I'm just following the direction for my incubator on having the water pan full (have auto top off) and no sponges in for incubation.
Then your supposed to add the sponges for increased humidity at lockdown.
Last year I thought they might have been to wet since I was hatching in the bottom of my incubator while I still had other eggs in the upper racks. That's why I bought the seperate hatcher. Maybe I should try dry incubation and only have water in the hatcher??

 

[OffGridMAMA]

So I'm patiently waiting for eggs... Lol.

 

[Sydney Acres]

I am fairly new to turkeys and I have a question for you guys. My Tom seems to have air on his breast area which I am assuming it is his crop. I have dealt with sour crop in chickens and this doesn't feel quite the same. The chickens were fluid filled but this feels like air filled. Any ideas???

Welcome to turkeys! They're wonderful.
It is totally normal to feel air on the breast of toms, and sometimes a huge amount. They distend those air sacs in front when they display. It seems like mine are never fully empty now that breeding season is here. There's nothing like having a big tom burp in your face as you cuddle with them when they first get settled on the roost and need to deflate! I now only pick them up when absolutely necessary. My largest boy is between 27-30 lbs, and the last time I picked him up he was more inflated than I realized and there was a forceful decompression with a horrible honking sound. I thought I ruptured his air sac, but it turned out that it just scared him (and me).

 

[chickadoodles]

Got the netting up this afternoon!!!! Whoohooo!!! Now she's TRAPPED! I hope. Lol

That's great! Congrats!

I have veins!!!!!

Day seven. I have growth in Ten turkey eggs. That might not mean much to some, but is extra special to me. These eegs are from my girl Scarlet a bronze who was every bit as big as my BR tom. I now believe she was a BBB. This past Sunday I went out to feed and water her. She had been spending the nights away from my two toms in a large dog kennel in what I have been referring to as Spa La'Garage. She went broody in there. When I went in I found her dead still on her clutch of 14 Turkey and 3 duck eggs. It as terribly cold out side, but the eggs were not freezing. I hurried and set my incubator up and put 12 of her eggs in. Two were really dirty. One of the duck eggs had broken. I just candled on day 8 and have veins in 10 of her eggs and the remaining duck eggs. I'm so happy. Hopefully in 3 weeks I will be over run with poults from my sweet girl. I also added chicken eggs this evening so fingers crossed.

Congrats on your eggs! That is awesome that you will be able to hatch Scarlet's eggs so sorry about Scarlet!

 

[NewToFarming]

Welcome to turkeys! They're wonderful.
It is totally normal to feel air on the breast of toms, and sometimes a huge amount. They distend those air sacs in front when they display. It seems like mine are never fully empty now that breeding season is here. There's nothing like having a big tom burp in your face as you cuddle with them when they first get settled on the roost and need to deflate! I now only pick them up when absolutely necessary. My largest boy is between 27-30 lbs, and the last time I picked him up he was more inflated than I realized and there was a forceful decompression with a horrible honking sound. I thought I ruptured his air sac, but it turned out that it just scared him (and me).

LOL....Thanks! I am enjoying them! How I noticed it is I have to lift him off of the perch every morning. Both of his wings were clipped when I got him and he can get up there but is afraid to get down on his own. It does seem it seems fuller than other times. I am glad it is normal! Now another question for you turkey experts! His feathers are looking pretty ragged lately, especially his tail feathers. Is it more because of molting maybe? He should be about 8 to 9 months old now. Thanks!

 

[Momhunter]

If I'm going to lower my humidity in my incubator is it ok to do that when I have turkey eggs that are at 3 weeks, chicken at 2 and quail at 1.5 weeks??? I'm thinking that my large eggs are not dehydrating enough. How do I tell if this is my problem with my turkey and peafowl eggs looking developed at lockdown then not hatching?? Do they drown before internal pipping?

I've only been hatching for a year. Last year I had no issues with my quail or chickens but only had about 60% hatch rate with my peas. Now had bad hatch with my first turkeys.
I remove the clears when I candle at two weeks. All six eggs had moving chicks in them when put into lockdown. How large should the air cell be???
I'm just following the direction for my incubator on having the water pan full (have auto top off) and no sponges in for incubation.
Then your supposed to add the sponges for increased humidity at lockdown.
Last year I thought they might have been to wet since I was hatching in the bottom of my incubator while I still had other eggs in the upper racks. That's why I bought the seperate hatcher. Maybe I should try dry incubation and only have water in the hatcher??