UPDATE-- New Poults; Some Died. Help! My turkey chicks are dying!

[SkyWarrior]

I am really frustrated and need advice.

I bought some heritage turkey chicks from a reputable source and got them on Tuesday. They were doing fine until two days ago. Basically, they are dropping dead. Sometimes they show lethargy, but not always. A few chicks appeared cyanotic, suggesting maybe respiratory problems.

Here's what happened:

I lost one chick the first day due to shipping. Everyone was fine, most were eating and drinking. We had a cold spell on Thursday where the nights hit 25F or so. I brought them inside and put them in an incubator to keep warm. I moved them back out into the brooder during the day and full-time Saturday. I lost one on Friday and two on Saturday. Today, I've lost three.

I am giving them sugar water and have added antibiotics today when I saw the cyanosis. The dead ones are thin--really thin. I'm feeding them the highest level of protein I can find-- gamebird 22%, which is formulated for turkeys and waterfowl. I have dipped bills in water and feed. They are eating.

What can I do? I don't want to lose these. I have three BBWs chicks who are thriving in different pens.

UPDATE: One chick is gasping for breath. One of the younger BBWs is sneezing. I've got him on antibiotics too. Lovely, just what I don't need.

 

[Hongisto]

thanks for the post. We also received 20 rare heritage turkeys from a reputable source on wed. and 3 have died so far. We're still in the percentages of survival, but was not happy that 3 died in 4 days. Let's hope that there is no more problems for you, sorry to hear this.

 

[SkyWarrior]

thanks for the post. We also received 20 rare heritage turkeys from a reputable source on wed. and 3 have died so far. We're still in the percentages of survival, but was not happy that 3 died in 4 days. Let's hope that there is no more problems for you, sorry to hear this.

Have you tried anything to save them?

 

[Hongisto]

Hi,
We put a second light at night, and some electrolytes in water. Were your poor turkeys black spanish?

 

[Frosty]

You might want to think of getting new feed and maybe new bedding in case there is an aflatoxin problem. Other than that, I am drawing a blank. I really wish I could help! How is the poop? Here is a link for the Merck vet manual if you want to look through and see if anything sounds like what you have going on: http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/202900.htm

 

[SkyWarrior]

Hi,
We put a second light at night, and some electrolytes in water. Were your poor turkeys black spanish?

No, they were a heritage mix. Still, it was very disheartening.

You might want to think of getting new feed and maybe new bedding in case there is an aflatoxin problem. Other than that, I am drawing a blank. I really wish I could help! How is the poop? Here is a link for the Merck vet manual if you want to look through and see if anything sounds like what you have going on: http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/202900.htm

I switched them over to the food I was feeding my chicks and other turkeys. It's medicated, but at this stage, I feel I have nothing to lose. I put antibiotics in their water and

so far, I haven't lost a chick in an entire day. I have two that are gasping, but they seem to be getting better (maybe). At least the gasping is less pronounced. I need to add more sugar to their water.

I looked over the Merck and what's odd is that they don't have diarrhea. I suspect respiratory infection because of the gasping. They might have Turkey coronavirus enteritis, but where they got that, I just don't know.

So far, I've been holding my breath over the last eight chicks. Maybe they might pull through.

I have really been thinking about putting all chicks on antibiotics up front when getting them. I am NOT a huge proponent of this, but I wonder if I had done this earlier, if I would have more chicks left.

 

[chicks@feathers]

I feed my turkey pullets Med chick starter and grower so far no problem have you notice any like runie nose also i have lernt you get a better survial if you put them in a box or cage that has a wire floor so that thier dropping is not in the pen with them. for example is a dog crate with smaller wire floor so the dont fall thru it and take some plastic or clear food wrap and go around the pen and make a vent hole so you can access thier water and food and put a light in with them for a while the plastic will help hold the heat in the cage.

 

[SkyWarrior]

I feed my turkey pullets Med chick starter and grower so far no problem have you notice any like runie nose also i have lernt you get a better survial if you put them in a box or cage that has a wire floor so that thier dropping is not in the pen with them. for example is a dog crate with smaller wire floor so the dont fall thru it and take some plastic or clear food wrap and go around the pen and make a vent hole so you can access thier water and food and put a light in with them for a while the plastic will help hold the heat in the cage.

No runny nose. Next time I will do a wire cage. The weather has been difficult so I've kept them in a plastic brooder tub to keep them warm.

 

[CorinneP]

I am also new to raising Turkeys but the old Farmer told me to use chick starter at First and Heat is equally as important for Turkeys as it is for chicks same rule dropping 5 degrees per week .

 

[IslandChiks]

I'm no vet but it sounds like you Turks were infected at the breeders before you received them. You didn't have them long enough to for the problem to be
from your place. I would ask to be compensated for your losses.
I do not really like feeding sugar because bacteria thrive in a sweet environment. Sugar is a non nutrient. I know a lot of people do it, and a lot of people
recommend it but I do not see any value in it at all.
An electrolyte supplement might be fine, but pure sugar adds nothing nutritious.
The only thing you can really do is isolate each bird so they don't infect or reinfect each other, keep them warm, keep them well hydrated
and keep their bedding clean and dry so that you remove and burn the virus rather than letting them lay in it.
I hope your Turks are feeling better. I have lost chicks too without really knowing the reason or what to do for them and it is so sad.
Good luck to you.