Question Bio Security and Wild Turkey's?

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Reboot
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Bio Security and Wild Turkey's?

Post by Reboot » Mon Mar 11, 2019 11:44 am

Last night I noticed we have new neighbours as we were having dinner; well one new neighbour to be specific, an adult Wild Turkey was right in our backyard and was still around this morning. Last night I was pacing off the perimeter of a goat fence I plan on erecting on our 4 acres soon and I am sure I flushed a turkey out of one of the trees on the property. For a year now I have seen the turkey flocks in the surrounding fields get larger and larger but the fields are usually being actively farmed. The fields immediately around us are usually left fallow and have become overgrown so I assumed we wouldn't get many turkeys here. Although Wild Turkeys are obviously doing well in Ontario, and in particular around Westport Ont it seems, I have read online information from some flock keepers that turkeys can bring ILT among other things onto the property. Are there some basic preventative hygiene steps we should be aware of to minimize this illness getting into our flock? I know I can't stop all threats from getting at our Wyandottes but maybe there was something I can do to dissuade the turkeys from getting too comfortable here?
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Killerbunny
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Re: Bio Security and Wild Turkey's?

Post by Killerbunny » Mon Mar 11, 2019 1:56 pm

We are knee deep in wild turkeys here and a couple of years ago some of the youngsters had a fenceline chat with some of MY young turkeys while the Mums looked on. I vaccinate for ILT and although not 100% effective I feel it to be worthwhile. Several folks on here have had the awful experience of having ILT in their flocks. Vaccination is pretty easy and is just a drop in the eye. It is the only thing I vaccinate for.
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modern17
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Re: Bio Security and Wild Turkey's?

Post by modern17 » Mon Mar 11, 2019 2:35 pm

I had a friend that had a tom that got beat up by a wild tom in the early spring ( still snow on the ground) last year ... and with in 7 days their tom came down with a case of fowl pox. Fowl pox is usually spread by mosquitoes and is usually a later in the year once mosquitoes have gotten established and bite the host ( fowl) and spread from bird to bird. .. The only other way to contract it is to have fluid to fluid transfer ie blood mucus or other fluids . In this case the domestic tom was beaten about the head to the point of bleeding thus the virus transfer.Nothing really can be done with fowl pox other than let it take its coarse as it is a virus and medications do not react to viruses. Depending on the severity of the strain of fowl pox it can be from harmless ( they look a mess with yellowish cankerous lesions) to being serious enough to affect breathing, eyesight and causing death. I caution all who have wild turkeys ,waterfowl or any other wild birds for that matter to prevent where ever possible contact between wild and domestic birds. Lots to be concerned about floating around in wild populations.
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WLLady
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Re: Bio Security and Wild Turkey's?

Post by WLLady » Mon Mar 11, 2019 2:49 pm

i've found having a dog around really deters the wild turkeys-until the dog goes inside...of course. a physical barrier between your turkeys and the wild ones are a good idea.....and if they really become a problem they can usually be chased off fairly easily-if you scare them out of their roost for a few days in a row they usually move on (at least around my place they do).
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kenya
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Re: Bio Security and Wild Turkey's?

Post by kenya » Mon Mar 11, 2019 2:59 pm

Chase them away! I like to see them but on someone elses property. Shoot at them or pretend to hunt them, they will disappear then.
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Allan
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Re: Bio Security and Wild Turkey's?

Post by Allan » Mon Mar 11, 2019 10:05 pm

Yes try to evict that new neighbor for sure. But, if it gives you some peace of mind, we had a wild Jenny here last year and for the entire time she incubated her eggs she would show up every day and hang with my free range chickens and ducks. She ate out of the garden where they picked bugs and even ate out of their food until I stopped putting food out for my birds out of fear of disease. I tried to evict her but she would not stop coming until her clutch hatched and she left. If it’s any consolation, none of my birds have shown illness and have just come through this sh🤐t show of a winter still healthy. I believe that we should try to limit exposer to wild birds, but I don’t know how we would ever completely do that. I’ve had doves and jays get into pens through holes I never new existed. Two years ago I went out to do a morning feeding and there was a pair of mallards standing right up against my barn door because a little grain had spilled!
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kenya
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Re: Bio Security and Wild Turkey's?

Post by kenya » Tue Mar 12, 2019 3:44 am

Allen thats such a nice story, I guess we just have such a fear that the wild birds will introduce something nasty to our birds but I would have enjoyed seeing her.
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Allan
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Re: Bio Security and Wild Turkey's?

Post by Allan » Tue Mar 12, 2019 11:20 am

Oh for sure and the risk is very real but I’ve decided to just enjoy my birds and let them enjoy the world, while discouraging socializing with the wildlife as much as possible. I have a nice video of the turkey walking across the lawn behind the ducks...but I can’t get it to upload....cause I’m a techno idiot.
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kenya
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Re: Bio Security and Wild Turkey's?

Post by kenya » Tue Mar 12, 2019 1:15 pm

Would love to see that video.
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Allan
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Re: Bio Security and Wild Turkey's?

Post by Allan » Thu Mar 14, 2019 10:40 pm

Since we are on this topic, what is the easiest way to get ILT vaccine to vaccinate our flocks?
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