Turkeys Dying

[NHchickenflock]

i had 3 bourbon red turkeys, I lost the last one this AM.
They were about 6 months old.
Died over the last 3 weeks 1 a week....
They acted very tired before they died. Looked like some loose greenish stools...
I would like to replace them but not sure why the did die and don't want the same to happen.

 

[chooks4life]

Loose greenish stools are often a sign of liver failure. Lots of things can cause that, though. Any respiratory symptoms?

The green diarrhea be a sign of blackhead too, but yellow diarrhea is far more common with blackhead.

Anyway, probably safe to say you should be treating as though it's contagious/infectious, because it sure sounds like it is. But diagnosing what it is will take more info; might be worth sending your birds to a vet lab to be tested, some of those tests are very cheap and can save you the cost of raising turkeys to lose them to the same problem many times over. A worthwhile investment.

Best wishes.

 

[NHchickenflock]

Do you know where or how to find one of those labs?
Some maybe more yellowish.
I was thinking blackhead but wasn't sure.
The only symptoms were:
Loose colored stools
Lethargic
Wings and head drooped

 

[chooks4life]

Do you know where or how to find one of those labs?
Some maybe more yellowish.
I was thinking blackhead but wasn't sure.
The only symptoms were:
Loose colored stools
Lethargic
Wings and head drooped

Hmmm... Those symptoms can match pretty much anything... As for the labs, well I live in Australia so that makes it hard. Are you on Facebook? I found out the other day some folks in different countries get together on pages on FB to share links to labs for diagnostics, found some great info for my own country.

There are some useful forum members who use labs with varying degrees of regularity and can probably point you to one as well as give you region-specific advice. I'll just copy paste some profiles...

You can PM them from there.

Quote:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/u/85615/nambroth

https://www.backyardchickens.com/u/348/speckledhen
https://www.backyardchickens.com/u/151473/casportpony

I've never used a lab, but hope to in future, that kind of knowledge is simply invaluable.

best wishes.

 

[retlaw]

Contact your local vet and they will know where to send it.
I sent one off this year and the lab cost i was told was only 15 bucks.
The bigger cost was sending it buy courier from the vet.
Had it packed in ice in a cooler and you pay for shipping by weight.
I still haven't gotten a bill yet from the vet.
That was a couple months ago.

 

[klilly20]

I lost three in the last four months 2 were Royal Palm and one was calico. It was the last one that I found out it was Black Head disease. After doing a lot of study It was advise not to raise turkeys with chickens because chickens are carriers of the Black Head Disease it affects the turkeys liver. Fish Zole ( Metronidazole) you can purchase thru Ebay can treat the Black Head disease. It is best to worm all of of your birds. I purchased Rooster Booster and currently treating all of my birds. The cecal worm is the carrier of the black head disease and it stays in the soil for three years. The earth worm eats the cecal worms and their eggs and the chickens eats the earth worm. So far I have not lost a single chicken to it but I am worming every one of my birds to make sure I don't. There is a sight called heritage Turkey there is a lot people on that sight that is knowledgeable about Turkey raising and treating the diseases. I read it is best to raise turkey in different area there has been no chickens. Or raise them in a pen off the ground so that the turkeys do not eat the worms. To this date I am still learning. I know it is heart breaking to lose one of these birds. I lost my last one last month I am not usually emotional about animals but when that little girl took her last breath I was in the room with her, it took me a few days to get over it. Maybe together we can help each other on how to rid of this disease. Good luck.. Let me know if there is anything I can do

 

[chooks4life]

Maybe together we can help each other on how to rid of this disease. Good luck.. Let me know if there is anything I can do

Sorry for your loss. It is hard, I know, been there and done that myself and will be going back to square one after a combination of foxes, pigs, and humans cost me all my turkeys, lol!

You can breed for resistance to it, took me a few generations but I developed lines which were immune to it, but, it's not for the 'softies' because it does involve losing the weakest ones.

If they need help to recover from BH they're weak against it and so will their offspring be, almost certainly. Good enough betting odds to mean they shouldn't be bred.

If you search this forum, you'll find many people swear by cayenne pepper for both preventative and cure, and having looked into the mechanisms of how it works, I believe that's sound enough information to use on a working basis. Both turkeys and chooks naturally love hot foods, it'll do them a world of good.

Best wishes.

 

[NHchickenflock]

I started using API general cure last night, it's sold at petsmart. Similar to Fish-zole.
My turkeys are in the same barn as my chickens but they are in separate pens about 10' apart.
Does anyone know if you can still eat a turkey after being treated with the fish-zole type products?

 

[klilly20]

You could be right. I hatched out these turkeys in my incubator and I ordered these eggs from individuals on Ebay. With that I can not know where these eggs come from nor the health of their parents. I have decided to buy my turkeys from a reparable hatchery this coming spring between now and that time I will be building some new pens. So far I have not lost any birds to human or pigs lol

 

[chooks4life]

You could be right. I hatched out these turkeys in my incubator and I ordered these eggs from individuals on Ebay. With that I can not know where these eggs come from nor the health of their parents. I have decided to buy my turkeys from a reparable hatchery this coming spring between now and that time I will be building some new pens. So far I have not lost any birds to human or pigs lol

You won't find turkeys from hatcheries any more resistant to BH, in fact you'll find them less resistant due to higher sanitation levels.

The immune system cannot develop resistance to things it's never exposed to, just the same as muscles never exposed to gravity cannot develop strength.

You're more likely to get BH resistant turkeys from people who left them on the same infected ground for years, breeding steadily more resistant generations under continual exposure, with an absolute minimum of artificial intervention with vaccines, chemicals, artificial antibiotics, etc.

Anyway, best wishes with your endeavor.