Updated! - Test Your Diagnostic Skills - Warning, Contains Graphic Necropsy Photos

[yinepu]

Interesting findings ...

I read a book some time ago about keeping chickens with turkeys and it stated there was a risk of chickens contracting blackhead disease if kept with turkeys.... i freaked as I had a turkey and it was housed with the chickens....was I being naive ? I despatched the turkey and vowed never to keep another.... ( it was very tasty ) I was afraid for my flock of chickens. Here there are many turkeys that free range with chickens....where does blackhead disease originate from?

As an aside.... WHEN are you going to perform the necropsy on the "fridge" girl ? This is a gruesome and fascinating thread.... fortunately for me I hate liver ( to eat ) but it did look extremely healthy!

blackhead isn't in all areas of the country. I can raise turkeys with chickens with no worries about it.. others aren't so lucky

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
blackhead isn't in all areas of the country. I can raise turkeys with chickens with no worries about it.. others aren't so lucky
Really? I didnt know cecal worms that carry the protozoa which causes blackhead had boundaries.

 

[casportpony]

blackhead isn't in all areas of the country. I can raise turkeys with chickens with no worries about it.. others aren't so lucky

Unless necropsies have been performed on *all* deceased or processed chickens, turkeys and gamebirds there is no way anyone can say that. Many people do raise turkeys, peafowl and other gamebirds with chickens without problems, and yes, they are lucky.

-Kathy

 

[ten chicks]

Unless necropsies have been performed on *all* deceased or processed chickens, turkeys and gamebirds there is no way anyone can say that. Many people do raise turkeys, peafowl and other gamebirds with chickens without problems, and yes, they are lucky.

-Kathy

Interesting,i was just reading an article about blackhead. Curious if anyone that has turkeys and chickens,has their turkeys on a preventative dose of medication in turkey starter/grower to help lower risk of blackhead. My understanding was that caecal worms are the key to spreading parasite,which then gets into feed/water via droppings. Am i correct in thinking it is similar to Coccidiosis. Just curious.

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
the department of agriculture usually has reports from the local unis, state vets and so on that do autopsies.. so any reports of blackhead from those sources gets reported back to the state (or is supposed to)

since some areas have no or low incidences of it.. a call to the local department of agriculture SHOULD tell you what diseases they have outbreaks of listed for your area.. and with the way that the government likes to monitor every darn thing we do.. it's usually pretty accurate for any given area..

 

[casportpony]

the department of agriculture usually has reports from the local unis, state vets and so on that do autopsies.. so any reports of blackhead from those sources gets reported back to the state (or is supposed to)

since some areas have no or low incidences of it.. a call to the local department of agriculture SHOULD tell you what diseases they have outbreaks of listed for your area.. and with the way that the government likes to monitor every darn thing we do.. it's usually pretty accurate for any given area..

I bet if I call the California Department of Ag and/or the State lab that neither will know anything about blackhead outbreaks in Santa Clara County, which is where I live. I think most of the necropsies that are performed are from poultry farms, not from backyard flocks and the testing that a State vet does does not include testing for things like blackhead and/or coccidiosis.

-Kathy

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
well.. like I said.. they are SUPPOSED to have the info.. and there are several backyard flock owners that I know of right off the top of my head who have sent in birds for necropsies... especially a few who are into 4H and the FFA (and a few who are on this forum)
so your milage may vary...


regardless.. it's always best to double check with locals to see if anyone has had issues with keeping different kinds of birds on the same property .. if they have then it's a heads up to investigate a bit more ..and it never hurts to check all avenues of info just to see what has been reported and what hasn't..

like the old saying goes.. it never hurts to ask.. lol

 

[casportpony]

Interesting,i was just reading an article about blackhead. Curious if anyone that has turkeys and chickens,has their turkeys on a preventative dose of medication in turkey starter/grower to help lower risk of blackhead. My understanding was that caecal worms are the key to spreading parasite,which then gets into feed/water via droppings. Am i correct in thinking it is similar to Coccidiosis. Just curious.

The only medicated turkey starter I can think of that might work is one made by Blue Seal, it has nitarsone in it, all other medicated feeds I have seen have just amprolium or amprolium and bacitracin in them, neither of those will prevent blackhead. Feed with nitarsone in it is toxic to dogs and ducks, so not something I can use here. Some say another preventative is acidified copper sulphate, but I have no idea how well that works.

-Kathy

 

[Michael Apple]

I thought this may be interesting and news to those who don't know that necrotic enteritis can cause ascites:

"In poultry, liver damage may be caused by aflatoxin or by toxins from plants such as Crotalaria. In broiler chickens, obstructive cholangiohepatitis (caused by Clostridium perfringens, the germ that causes enteritis) is the most common cause of the liver damage, which results in ascites. In both meat-type ducks and breeders, amyloidosis of the liver frequently causes ascites."
http://www.poultrynews.com/New/Diseases/Merks/204701.htm

Crotalaria plant is commonly found in the Southern US: http://www.caf.wvu.edu/~forage/library/poisonous/page5.htm

 

[casportpony]

I thought this may be interesting and news to those who don't know that necrotic enteritis can cause ascites:

"In poultry, liver damage may be caused by aflatoxin or by toxins from plants such as Crotalaria. In broiler chickens, obstructive cholangiohepatitis (caused by Clostridium perfringens, the germ that causes enteritis) is the most common cause of the liver damage, which results in ascites. In both meat-type ducks and breeders, amyloidosis of the liver frequently causes ascites."
http://www.poultrynews.com/New/Diseases/Merks/204701.htm

Crotalaria plant is commonly found in the Southern US: http://www.caf.wvu.edu/~forage/library/poisonous/page5.htm

Thanks... all the more reason to utilize a free necropsy service if your State has one... I really like knowing why my birds die.

-Kathy