Turkey Talk for 2014

[chickadoodles]

Quote:

It looks like some sort of sinus infection. Could be CRD? You could take a nose swab with a q-tip and take it to a vet to test to let you know what it is.

It was my understanding that the poults were normal until an older poult was put in with them and there was lots of fighting, so this is most likely just trauma. Assuming, or course, that they were healthy to start with, and that the new poult didn't bring anything into the flock.

Hopefully it is trauma and will go down.

 

[casportpony]

Quote: Call them about that, salmonella testing has always been a no charge for mine.

-Kathy

Was that at no charge for PCRs, or just for cultures?
Have had cultures, sensitivities and PCRs done, never a charge for any of them. Only charge has been for shipping, which was $9 for under 5 pounds and $19 for over five pounds.

-Kathy

 

[redneck farmer]

It was my understanding that the poults were normal until an older poult was put in with them and there was lots of fighting, so this is most likely just trauma.  Assuming, or course, that they were healthy to start with, and that the new poult didn't bring anything into the flock.

Yes your understanding perfectly.
I don't BELIVE the other turkey had anything disease wrong with it or that it gave it to my birds becuase besides the face swelling and cuts they are normal healthy birds and they act like healthy birds and there over all exterior (besides te face injuries) looks great. I am just worried that the swelling won't go down and I won't be able to show them at fair

 

[redneck farmer]

Hopefully it is trauma and will go down. 

I hope so too!

 

[jdduck]

I need a little help tonight, I had a eastern hatch out today and it still has some yolk sack on the outside. What is the best way to treat this for right now it is separated from the other little ones under a heat lamp in a very small box lined with paper towels. Is there anything other that I can do for this little turkey?

 

[Sydney Acres]

I need a little help tonight, I had a eastern hatch out today and it still has some yolk sack on the outside. What is the best way to treat this for right now it is separated from the other little ones under a heat lamp in a very small box lined with paper towels. Is there anything other that I can do for this little turkey?

If it hatched out under a broody hen, I would probably bring it inside and put it in an incubator if you have one, or a heat lamp with a brooder thermometer if you don't have an incubator. If it hatched out in an incubator, I would leave it in the incubator if you can monitor it through a window. Regardless of whether it's kept in an incubator of under a heat lamp, it should be kept at 95-98 degrees if possible, and by itself on a very soft surface with clean bedding. Paper towels, cotton T-shirt, that sort of thing. Nothing rough like the wire mesh on the bottom of some incubators. Ideally it should be kept in a very small cup or box or bowl to keep it from moving around a lot. Be sure that everything is clean, and that you wash your hands every time before handling it, or wear disposable gloves, as it is easy for these little ones to get serious infections until the yolk sac is absorbed.

Below is a photo of a "Duck in a Cup" waiting for its yolk sack to finish up!​

​

This photo is from https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching, about 75% down the page.

There is also some great information about yolk sacs on this page : https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

And there are a lot of very experienced hatchers (mostly for chicks, but the principles are the same) who are always willing to answer questions on this page (the title is misleading, as it's a thread for everyone with incubating/hatching questions, not just shipped eggs with weird air sacs): https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/704328/diary-notes-air-cell-detatched-shipped-eggs/27230 (They're having an off topic conversation right now about sustainable farming and pigs -- don't worry about that, just jump right in. They're very nice people.)

Good luck. I hope your little poult does well.

 

[WeatheredWings]

RIP sweet Juniper
We had our 1st predatory attack last night after doing poultry for 5 years. It was a great horned owl I believe after feather identification. It attacked from above through netting to where the turkey was roosting. It must have pushed the netting down pretty far. It also looks like it tried to get a speckled sussex as its feathers are all over, but she is alive. Any ideas on how to deter owls?

 

[TiaRC]

RIP sweet Juniper
We had our 1st predatory attack last night after doing poultry for 5 years. It was a great horned owl I believe after feather identification. It attacked from above through netting to where the turkey was roosting. It must have pushed the netting down pretty far. It also looks like it tried to get a speckled sussex as its feathers are all over, but she is alive. Any ideas on how to deter owls?

Motion activated spotlights worked well for me. As soon as the light came on its spooks and blinds them. After a few tries it quits and I don't have another one try til next year or longer.

 

[Wasson6Pack]

Ok, so we have a huge problem at out house right now and I'm starting to freak. We had 12 Turkeys, 5RP from a hatchery and 7 sweetgrass we hatched from local eggs. They roam the yard during the day and are in a large enclosure with a few chickens at night. They are dropping like flies. I don't give them straight turkey feed, but mix a bag of high protein with a bag of layer and a bag of whoop'em which is a bad of corn, sunflower seeds, .... They seem to go to bed fine and when they wake up, 1 seems to be lethargic and then dies by nightfall. About 1 - 2 per week. Now there is another this morning and we will be down to 4. They are about 10 - 12 Weeks old. The only thing I have noticed (besides, they don't eat much feed, just whatever they can chase down outside) is that they dig in the compost bun. It had food in it, along with grass clipping and the litter I ship out of the bins, plus the dead birds we get. WE Put everything in a large pile outback.

Any ideas why they are dying? Any suggestions at all? We try and force feed them a bit of wet feed, but it hadn't saved any of them. They become lethargic and they just sit and don't walk, almost like they just sit down to die.

 

[chicken pickin]

Ok, so we have a huge problem at out house right now and I'm starting to freak. We had 12 Turkeys, 5RP from a hatchery and 7 sweetgrass we hatched from local eggs. They roam the yard during the day and are in a large enclosure with a few chickens at night. They are dropping like flies. I don't give them straight turkey feed, but mix a bag of high protein with a bag of layer and a bag of whoop'em which is a bad of corn, sunflower seeds, .... They seem to go to bed fine and when they wake up, 1 seems to be lethargic and then dies by nightfall. About 1 - 2 per week. Now there is another this morning and we will be down to 4. They are about 10 - 12 Weeks old. The only thing I have noticed (besides, they don't eat much feed, just whatever they can chase down outside) is that they dig in the compost bun. It had food in it, along with grass clipping and the litter I ship out of the bins, plus the dead birds we get. WE Put everything in a large pile outback.

Any ideas why they are dying? Any suggestions at all? We try and force feed them a bit of wet feed, but it hadn't saved any of them. They become lethargic and they just sit and don't walk, almost like they just sit down to die.

I don't have any ideas on whats happening with your birds, I just wanted to say I am not sure you should ever add dead anything to your compost. Especially if it is in a location where yourother animals can get at it. That seems unhealthy. Though I have never looked into that process.


Edited to add - Have you checked to see if you have blackhead in your area? Since you house your turkeys with your chickens it could be a possibility.