Commercial turkeys

What is the slaughter ages for male vs female turkeys?

• 12-15 weeks for females (5.5 Kg)

• 18-21 weeks for males (17-19 Kg)

What are the different stages of commercial turkey production?

What are the different production phases of turkeys?

Production phase often correlated to respective disease conditions

Age (weeks)	Broiler (meat)	Breeders for day-old poults
< 3	Chick/starter	chick

What is the main issue that turkey chicks face?

High mortality/poor growth

What are the different infectious and non infectious causes of high mortality and poor growth in chicks?

What are the common issues in growers (3-12 weeks)?

• Respiratory

• Lameness

What are the common respiratory agents affected growers (3-12 weeks)?

• Mycoplasmosis – Mg, Ms, MM

• Turkey coryza (Bordetellosis)

• aMPV/Turkey Rhinotacheitis

• Colisepticemia

• Fowl Cholera

• NDV

• AIV

• NDV

• Ornithobacterium  (ORT)

Environment can exarcebate

What agents can cause lameness in growers (3-12 weeks)?

• Bacterial arthritis —> Staphylococcus, E coli

• Spondylolisthesis

List other issues to be aware of in growers (3-12 weeks)?

• Mycotoxicosis

• Roundworms

• Ionophore toxicity

• Carbon monoxide toxicity

What are the different causes of respiratory issues in >12 week turkeys- broilers finishers and breeder pullets

• Fowl Cholera

• Aspergillosis

• Chlamydiosis

• NDV

• AIV

• NDV

• Ornithobacterium  (ORT)

Can be exacerbated by environment

What are the different causes of lameness issues in >12 week turkeys- broilers finishers and breeder pullets?

• Bacterial arthritis – Staphylococcus, E coli, Erysipelas, Pasteurella

• Long bone distortion

• Osteomyelitis

• Scoliosis

List other issues to be aware of in finishers and pullets (>12 weeks)?

• Parasites Internal – round, caecal worms

• Parasites external – mites, lice

• Pendulus crop

• Turkey pox

• Breast blisters

• Cannibalism

• Aortic Rupture/kidney bleeding

What are the common respiratory issues in layers?

• Mycoplasmosis – Mg, Ms, MM

• Turkey coryza (Bordetellosis)

• aMPV/Turkey Rhinotacheitis

• Colisepticemia

• Fowl Cholera

• NDV

• AIV

What are the common lameness issues in layers?

• Bacterial arthritis – Staphylococcus, E coli

• Spondylolisthesis

When egg production drops in turkey layers what are the main potential causes?

• NDV

• AIV

• Other paramyxoviruses

• Mycoplasmosis

• Nutrition/management

With high mortality what are the main causes in turkey layers?

• Fowl Cholera

• Aspergillosis

• Salphingitis/peritonitis

What are the other diseases that can affect layer turkeys?

• Mycotoxicosis

• Roundworms

What age groups are affected by wet litter enteritis?

All ages

What are the influencing factors of wet litter enteritis?

• Breed – certain breeds more susceptible?

• Environment – temp, humidity, ventilation etc.

• Nutrition, chilling ,starvation

• Enteric pathogenic and non-pathogenic

  • Coccidia

  • Bacterial

  • Viruses – Turkey conovirus, Astrovirus, Rotavirus, Reovirus

What are the signs of wet litter enteritis?

Watery faeces caused by imbalances of small intestine

What is the tx for wet litter enteritis?

ABs, eg. Amoxicillin, Tetracyclilnes, Tylosin

How is wet litter enteritis prevented?

• Immuno-competent and healthier birds

• Proper nutrition (feed and feeding)

• Water quality/hygiene

• Probiotics/Competitive exclusion

• Acidification – feed/water

What causes coccidiosis in chickens? What species causes it in turkeys?

Eimeria

• E. meleagrimitis - lesion in upper small intestine

• E. adenoides - lesions in caecae and rectum

How is coccidiosis diagnosed?

Always found in al turkeys, thus diagnosis difficult, significant based on lesion/oocyst count

How is coccidiosis prevented and treated?

Prevention

• Coccidiostats (eg. Lasalocid, monensin, diclazuril)

• Don’t use Tiamulin with Ionophores (toxicity problem)

• Toltrazuril, Sulphonamides, Amprolium

Tx

• ABs, eg. Amoxicillin, Tetracyclilnes, Tylosin

What agent causes blackhead? How is it transmitted

Histomonas meleagridis

Tranmission via intermediate host – Heterakis gallinarum

How does blackhead present?

• Typical liver lesions (diagnostic)

  

• Dull listeless, sulfur coloured faeces

How is blackhead prevented/ treated?

• No specific treatment against histomonas

• Biosecurity – top priority

• Control of worms – Heterakis, using Flubendazole

• Tetracylines

What are the clinical signs of Turkey coronavirus?

• Severe depression but little/no mortality

• High morbidity

• Watery scour, 9-11 weeks

• Some dullness

How is turkey coronavirus diagnosed?

PCR

How is turkey cornavirus prevented/ treated?

• No specific treatment

• Biosecurity – top priority

How does astrovirus present?

• Age: 5-10 days old

• Severe typhlitis, resulting in high culling

  

• Severe economic losses from runting and culling

How is astrovirus diagnosed?

PCR, 1- 12 weeks

How is astrovirus prevented/ treated?

• No specific treatment

• Biosecurity – top priority

How does rotavirus present?

• Age: 2-3 weeks days old

• Main signs – enteritis, vent pecking

  • Secondary complication with spironucleosis

How is rotavirus diagnosed?

PCR

How is rotavirus prevented and treated?

• No specific tx

• Hyperimmune egg powder

• Maintain hydration

• Biosecurity – top priority

What causes erysipelas in turkeys?

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathae

How does erysipelas present? What is a risk factor for it?

• Causing persistence high mortality

  • Organism stays viable in organic matters for long peroid

• Nearby or past or present pigs/sheep farming

How is erysipelas diagnosed, treated and prevented?

• Diagnosis – signs, lesions, PCR

• Tx – antibiotics, eg. Amoxicillin

• Prevention – Vaccine (inactivated, autogenous) available

How does Ornitobacterium rhinotracheale signs differ in turkeys cf to chickens?

• Not much resp dx (unlike chickens) - only mild

• More of lameness due to joint infection, culling rates inc

How is Ornitobacterium rhinotracheal diagnosed, treated and prevented?

Diagnosis — mainly PCR, serology

Tx – ABs

Prevention – management/biosecurity

What causes bordetellosis/ turkey coryza in turkeys?

Bordetella avium

What signs are associated with bordetella avium in turkeys?

• URT infection and damage, leading to 2° infection e.g. E. coli

• Recovery in 4-6 weeks for non complicated infection

• Morbidity 80-100%, Mortality 0-40%

How is bordetellosis diagnosed, treated and prevented?

• Diagnosis – Serology, culture, or PCR

• Tx – ABs, e.g. sulfonamides, tetracyclines

• Prevention – Vaccine, including temperature sensitive vaccine

Other disease to review from third year!

• NDV

• AIV

• Avian Metapneumovirus (aMPV)/

• Turkey rhinotracheitis virus

• Myoplasmosis

List the live and inactivated routes for most vaccines in commercial turkeys?

Live- spray, d/w

Inactivated- IM pectoral muscle