by Good day, experienced and novice poultry farmers! Today we will touch upon some issues of interest to established and future turkey breeders. In our material, there are common turkey diseases that one has to deal with at home.
First, a few words about breed diversity, crosses and broiler poultry.
Turkey breeds and crosses
Firstly, breeds. In our country there are different breeds of turkeys: white broad-breasted, bronze broad-breasted, black Tikhoretsk, North Caucasian bronze etc. Poultry farmers who prefer a particular breed mate birds within the breed, and the offspring inherits all the parental qualities, such as resistance to diseases, egg production, plumage color, weight, exterior, and body type.
Average daily weight gains are increased by crossing different lines, i.e. obtaining crosses. Depending on the number of lines, crosses are 2-, 3- and 4-line, and depending on the weight of the bird – medium, light and heavy.
Secondly, broilers. Broiler turkeys and turkey cocks. Already at 140-150 days they reach slaughter weight: turkeys – 23-24 kg, females – 10-12 kg. Of course, you can grow them further, but the meat will be tougher, and the cost of feed will increase, and keeping the bird will become unprofitable.
Thirdly, – crosses are used only for growing for meat, they should not be left for reproduction. They will not be able to pass on hereditary characteristics, which means that the offspring will become smaller and degenerate.
Main diseases of turkeys
By the way, turkey poults, turkey hens and turkey mutts are not prone to any specific diseases. But health problems usually occur due to violations in maintenance and feeding. By the way, and with weak immunity. But more on that below.
Histomoniasis, also called enterohepatitis, “black head”, is a protozoan disease of turkeys, as well as young animals of other species of domestic and wild birds. Histomoniasis is the result of the vital activity of protozoa. The pathogen is found in the droppings.
The disease manifests itself as yellow-green foamy stool, apathy, ruffled feathers, weakness, refusal to eat or poor appetite, rapid weight loss. The main risk group is 20-day-old turkeys.
The fight against such pathology is based on the use of Trichopolum. 0,5 g of the drug is pre-diluted in a liter of water. The drug is given to all birds at the following age periods: 21-30 and 41-50 days. Selective administration of the drug is associated with a high probability of losing the entire flock.
Tuberculosis – a dangerous pathology that occurs in a chronic form and disrupts the functioning of internal organs, such as the liver and spleen. Birds affected by the disease have diarrhea and quickly lose weight. Tuberculosis (pathogenic bacillus) is found in feed, water, and dirty bedding material.
Runny nose and sinusitis of infectious origin – diseases manifested by inflammation of the mucous membrane. Factors contributing to the development of infections: dampness, poor ventilation of the poultry house, vitamin deficiencies of vitamins A and D.
But birds aged three weeks and older are more likely to suffer. The area under their eyes swells, the mucous membrane of the eye becomes inflamed, and vision is impaired. The turkey loses weight and dies. Remember, a cured bird remains a carrier of the bacteria for a long time, so it must be isolated.
Trichomoniasis and coccidiosis – diseases, the provocateurs of which enter the bird’s body with food and water. In 20-25-day-old young animals, the liver and the entire gastrointestinal tract are disrupted. Pathogens can be carried by pigeons, wild ducks and geese, rabbits (feces). The body of adult turkeys usually copes with the disease without medication.
Turkey poults are prescribed medication in any case, since without it the mortality rate of young animals reaches 60%. Baycox or Totlazuril are better for coccidiosis. When there is no suspicion of a problem, it is more rational to refuse chemicals. It is better to optimize the microclimate parameters, eliminate dampness, and bring the temperature to a level comfortable for the bird.
Prevention of turkey diseases
Of course, a mandatory condition is maintaining the premises in a proper sanitary condition. In order to prevent diseases, the young animals are fed a mash, including compound feed, onions and low-fat kefir (can be replaced with whey).
Important: feeding onions in the evening hours will cause thirst and restlessness in the bird.
If you notice signs of ill health in your birds, contact a veterinarian – he will establish a diagnosis and prescribe the correct treatment.
The nuances of incubation
The resistance of turkeys to diseases depends to a certain extent on how well they developed during the embryonic period. Let’s get to know the features of the microclimate in the incubator during different periods of incubation:
- 1-8 days: the egg temperature is slightly lower than the air temperature inside the incubator.
- 8-16 days: the egg temperature is equal to, and at the end of the period slightly higher than, the temperature in the incubator.
- 16-25 days: the most important and dangerous period. Due to the rapid increase in egg temperature (it can rise by 1 degree overnight), most embryos die during this period.
- 25-28 days: withdrawal period.
To control all stages of incubation, you can use the “turkey egg incubation card”. It helps a lot. In addition, you should take into account that the egg needs to be warmed up to 24-25 degrees before being placed in the incubator, and the incubator needs to be ventilated and warmed up in advance.
The body temperature of a turkey fluctuates between 40 and 41 degrees during the day, its lowest value is at four o’clock in the morning. That is why the temperature of the egg is so important after the 16th day, when the embryo begins to grow. In order to prevent overheating, additional thermometers with remote sensors are installed, which are attached to the egg with tape in several trays.
Based on the sensor readings, the temperature in the incubator is adjusted so that the surface of the shell does not heat up above 38,3-38,5 degrees.
If all the rules are followed, hatching begins on the 26th day. An earlier date indicates overheating of the egg, a later date indicates insufficient heating. In the first case, many so-called “helicopters” hatch, in the second, the chicks hatch wet and sluggish, they clearly did not have enough heat.
And one more piece of advice – do not rush to take the turkeys out of the incubator, leave them for at least six hours. Of course, at first the chicks are very demanding of warmth, and they need a temperature of at least 35-36 degrees.
Final World
Let’s sum it up. Frequent diseases of turkeys and turkey poults directly depend on incubation. After all, the wrong temperature regime kills the bird’s immunity. That is why purchased turkey poults are strong and do not get sick in one case, but in another case they catch everything in a row…
Advice given by Dmitry Anatolyevich, Belarus.
