Turkeys, despite the widespread belief to the contrary, have not very good health and are prone to a wide range of diseases. Some of them leak and heal easily, while others are very dangerous for animals. The latter also includes histomonosis, a disease that affects the digestive system. Manifesting suddenly, it proceeds heavily, spreads quickly, and when delayed, it can doom all available livestock to death. This topic is especially interesting to novice breeders who do not know why the dead turkey has white spots on the liver of dead turkeys. We will tell you more about this.

Description of the disease

The most susceptible to this disease are turkeys aged 2 weeks to 3 months. Turkeys show weakness, loss of appetite and in parallel, diarrhea begins. The illness lasts up to two weeks, after which the animal either begins to recover, or goes to slaughter.

Video: turkey histomoniasis

At autopsy, spots on the liver of turkeys are observed. One of the common questions is whether histomoniasis can be cured or not, and if so, how can it be treated? In most cases, the disease is not treatable, and the survival of the bird depends on its immunity.

Important! The causative agent of the infection is Heterakis gallinarum.

Where does it come from?

There are several sources of histomoniasis:

• poor quality feed;
• keeping birds in the room in which other animals had previously been located, and which was poorly cleaned;
• drinkers and feeders are cleaned and disinfected inappropriately;
• vehicles in which the livestock was transported;
• keeping too many birds in a small area or birds of different ages;
• the presence of birds who have had the disease before;
• rodents and fleas;
• earthworms.

Symptoms

You can identify the disease by several symptoms:

• loss of appetite and constant thirst;
• drowsiness, trembling in the body;
• young growth is trying to keep warm, huddling in heaps;
• diarrhea, yellow droppings;
• the bird sways when walking, closes its eyes and hides its head under the wing;
• plumage ruffled.

Liver of a turkey affected by histomonosis When opening a sick bird, a green liver is observed - one of the main signs of the disease. The affected liver is also often found with white plaques.

A bad liver is not the only symptom found during an autopsy — there are also signs that the lesion has affected the intestines — its walls are covered with ulcers and it is filled with white fluid, often mixed with blood.

Disease treatment

Despite the impossibility of a complete cure for histomoniasis, some medications can help in the fight against the disease. But, in any case, it is much better to prevent the disease by observing the norms of keeping birds than to treat them.

Did you know? Turkeys know firsthand the phrase «they don’t beat» – when the turkey lays on the ground and stretches its head, the rest stop attacking it.

Metronidazole

The medicine is used to cleanse the body of birds from pathogenic bacteria - histomonad. Metronidazole is taken with food, and its active substance accumulates in the liver, after which it leaves the body, removing bacteria along with it.

It is taken a week, completely excreted in 4 days. Calculation of the drug - 1 gram of active substance per 6 kilograms of bird weight. Metronidazole is combined with drugs that help restore the liver and gastrointestinal tract.

Important! It is necessary to consult a veterinarian to make sure which disease has affected the livestock and how to treat the disease.

Furazolidone

Another popular drug is furazolidone. Being inherently an antibiotic, it has the least negative effect on the body compared to other drugs. Moreover, bacteria adapt extremely slowly to this drug. The manufacturer indicates the daily dose, which should be divided into 3 meals and give medicine to turkeys with food.

Prevention

Nevertheless, diseases can be avoided if the correct and timely preventive measures are taken. First of all, it is important to maintain cleanliness in the cells, to provide turkeys with quality and fresh water and food. Checking the history of the farm where new individuals came from is also important. Birds should be kept in comfortable conditions and have a sufficient amount of personal space.

Video: prevention of histomoniasis in turkey poults

If a disease is detected, infected birds are separated from the rest of the livestock and quarantined. In the quarantine zone, it is also important for turkeys to provide the most comfortable conditions and proper nutrition for sick individuals.

Did you know? The brighter the color of the turkey, the more aggressive his temper.

Can I eat meat from sick turkeys?

The meat of turkeys suffering from histomonosis can be eaten, but with some reservations. Only the use of poultry meat in the early stages of the disease and only after thorough heat treatment is permissible. However, a diseased liver is not good for eating.Histomoniasis is a serious disease, and any delay can lead to the death of turkeys. If you find the first signs of illness in birds, immediately contact your veterinarian and begin treatment. Remember: the detection of sick individuals and their isolation is the key to the survival of the entire livestock.