The Poultry Keeper

twister · Joined: 17 Sep 2008 Posts: 15 Location: deux sevres 79

And I don't know why.
All three where fine yesterday, wandering around, eating bugs etc, nothing looked wrong with any of them, have gone up to check on them this morning, to find one dead on the floor.

No sign of any injury, I have looked over his body, no bite marks or scratches, or bald patches, but there are quite a few downy feathers scattered around the body, much like he fluttered around quite a bit before he died.

His body was in an unusual place in the pen also, not really a bit where they lay or scratch for bugs.

I am confused as to how he died, anyone have any reasonable explanations?

CP · Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 12:40 pm Post subject:

Could it have been a heart attack? Chickens can have them because they have high blood pressure but not sure about turkeys.
Was the comb a very dark red or blue colour?

twister · Joined: 17 Sep 2008 Posts: 15 Location: deux sevres 79

He was only a young bird, we bought all three of them on the 5 July, and they were about the size of a small chicken.

He hasn't got a comb or any other turkey features, as he was only a young bird, and had only just started to get his little dangley bit on his head!

From the look of the feathers scattered around his body, it looks like he was struggling or had a fit of some sort, and he had thrown his head back, (I assume most birds do this though, as when one of my chickens died last year, it also threw back its head for its final breath)

Oh, before anyone says don't keep chickens and turkeys together, they don't live together, they live next door to one another with fencing between them.

jubilee · Joined: 04 Jun 2008 Posts: 125 Location: nottinghamshire

Hi, i keep my turkey's together with my orpingtons no problems, as long as the chickens are large enough to look out for themselves it's fine! so anyway, turkeys are very funny creatures, they have extremely high blood pressure, and if they are frightened or stressed, they can infact drop dead, young chicks are very flighty, and are prone to stress, unfortunately. if you keep turkey's you need to be aware that "drop dead" at the "drop of a hat" does occur sometimes. Generally, turkeys can cope with most things, but occationally you get one that simply isn't strong enough to. really sorry you lost one, but take it from me, we've had them on and off for years, and this does happen. xx Crying or Very sad