What is black head on turkeys?

[Chicken-lovebirdchihuahua]

I've heard so many people talking about wach out for black head what is it? can you see it? does it happen every time turkeys and chickens are mixed? can it happen with poults and chicks? Thanks so much I would love to hear your feed back because I just got poults and am getting chicks and have chickens outside

 

[Molpet]

It's not in all areas...carried by earthworm that get eaten by chickens... they poop it out and then the turkeys get it from the ground or sitting in the chicken poop... Check with your ag extension service to see if it's in your area.... Lots of threads on it

 

[Rusty Rooster MAC]

Blackhead is a protozoa. Its hosts are cecal worms, whose hosts are chickens. This is why you dont mix chickens with turkeys as the protozoa are deadly to turkey's.
It can be deadly to poults as well. Keep them separated.

 

[Chicken-lovebirdchihuahua]

Ok I will keep them apart

 

[Chicken-lovebirdchihuahua]

Thanks both of you. You were lots of help

 

[casportpony]

I've heard so many people talking about wach out for black head what is it? can you see it? does it happen every time turkeys and chickens are mixed? can it happen with poults and chicks? Thanks so much I would love to hear your feed back because I just got poults and am getting chicks and have chickens outside

Read this:
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/viewhtml.php?id=343

And read the attachment:

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

Ok I will keep them apart

You ONLY need to keep them apart if Blackhead is in your area otherwise you are fine to mix your Turkeys and Chickens.

 

[casportpony]

You ONLY need to keep them apart if Blackhead is in your area otherwise you are fine to mix your Turkeys and Chickens.

There is no way of knowing if it's in your area or not. To know this, one would have to necropsy *every* deceased chicken, quail, turkey, and peacock.

 

[Chicken-lovebirdchihuahua]

Thanks both of you!

 

[casportpony]

The best way to keep your turkeys healthy would be to raise them in an area where chickens have not been and to somehow keep them from eating earthworms.