Unusual turkey behavior (with video)

[Purplesmart]

Well, looks like my second thread is also a cry for help.

My 1 year old turkey tom started doing this weird pumping motion with his head about 3 weeks ago. We've already called the vet when it started, and he says there's nothing wrong with him, although the tom didn't do this behavior in front of him. But I'm still worried, because my female turkey did this and died. We've found a hardened black clump of grass in her crop with a tiny bit of plastic string. Also her throat was weirdly tangled on itself.
I've felt the tom's crop, and it's soft, nothing seems to have hardened inside. Someone suggested we feed him whole peppercorns, but it doesn't seem to do anything.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[R2elk]

Well, looks like my second thread is also a cry for help.

My 1 year old turkey tom started doing this weird pumping motion with his head about 3 weeks ago. We've already called the vet when it started, and he says there's nothing wrong with him, although the tom didn't do this behavior in front of him. But I'm still worried, because my female turkey did this and died. We've found a hardened black clump of grass in her crop with a tiny bit of plastic string. Also her throat was weirdly tangled on itself.
I've felt the tom's crop, and it's soft, nothing seems to have hardened inside. Someone suggested we feed him whole peppercorns, but it doesn't seem to do anything.

Any help would be appreciated.

It is not normal behavior. Looks like he has something stuck in his throat. It could be as simple as a really long blade of grass or something inedible that is hung up in there.

 

[Purplesmart]

It is not normal behavior. Looks like he has something stuck in his throat. It could be as simple as a really long blade of grass or something inedible that is hung up in there.

I see. Is there something we can do to help him, or it just has to pass on its own?

 

[R2elk]

I see. Is there something we can do to help him, or it just has to pass on its own?

You can try opening his mouth and looking to see if anything is in sight. Also very gently palpate the throat area.

@casportpony

 

[Purplesmart]

You can try opening his mouth and looking to see if anything is in sight. Also very gently palpate the throat area.

@casportpony

Thanks for the suggestion, it helped me find a solution that's been working so far!

What I did was introduce apple cider vinegar into their diet on a more regular basis. If it can break up metal, it should be able to dissolve whatever is stuck in there.

Day 1 - 5 liter bucket, filled with water, oats, and half-cooked rice, and around 150-200ml apple cider vinegar.

Day 2 - Put acv into their drinking water, around 50ml/5l.

Day 3 and onward - Reduce acv to a contentration to a fraction. Fill a 2l bottle with water and 50-100ml acv, and disperse that into their water buckets.

So far haven't seen the turkey doing that disturbing thing. He's strutting, puffing, and gobbling normally.

 

[Mrs Wick]

Turkeys can get worms, too.
Did you de-worm him ?

 

[Purplesmart]

Turkeys can get worms, too.
Did you de-worm him ?

No, didn't know that. The vet didn't even mention it. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Purplesmart]

It's been a while since I could update on the situation -thanks, work-, but here it is.

So the apple cider vinegar wasn't a long term solution, shortly after he started again. We've spoken to another farmer, who said it's either slow liver failure, or he's just lonely. Called the vet again, who examined him top-to-bottom and didn't find anything wrong. The only thing he said is to give him smaller feed, and find him a mate because he's lonely.

Loneliness seems to be the common consensus, so I'll give it a shot, and get him a hen. I'll make a new thread regarding my questions in that area.