The advice hub Blackhead in Turkeys
Cause
Blackhead is caused by a single celled parasite called Histomonas meleagridis. Blackhead is carried by the relatively harmless caecal worm (Heterakis) and by earthworms, allowing blackhead to survive in the environment for years. Blackhead will affect chickens, pea fowl and turkeys but turkeys and pea fowl are more vulnerable to infection than chickens.
What to look out for
- Sudden death
- Dullness
- Bright yellow diarrhoea
- In very exceptional cases, birds will develop a black coloured head
Diagnosis
The only way to correctly diagnose Blackhead is for your vet to carry out a post mortem.
Treatment
Treatment will involve your vet prescribing antibiotics to try to kill the Blackhead parasite as well as controlling secondary infections.
It is essential that birds with Blackhead are wormed to kill the Heterakis worms that may be carrying Blackhead.
Prevention
Ensure your birds are regularly wormed every three months with Flubendazole.
Never let turkeys or pea fowl range with chickens or on ground where chickens have ranged in the past ten years.
