Blackhead disease (histomoniasis) is an important poultry disease that affects turkeys, chickens, and game birds such as partridges, pheasants, and quail. Sound hygienic practices and litter management will help prevent an outbreak of the disease. Some of the best Blackhead disease prevention methods are good management practices. Blackhead disease in turkeys is very debilitating. The passage of thin, sulphur-colored droppings is characteristic of blackhead, but the disease is well advanced in turkeys before this is conspicuous; this does not often appear as a symptom in chickens. Characteristically, an infected bird may develop dark red discoloration of the head and skin thus the name ‘blackhead’. Blackhead is a common disease to chickens. The passage of thin, sulphur-colored droppings is characteristic of blackhead, but the disease is well advanced in turkeys before this is conspicuous; this does not often appear as a symptom in chickens. The most effective drug used for treating Blackhead disease in turkey is Histostat-50. Description: More commonly known as blackhead, the disease is a form of condition collectively termed as histomoniasis. Interestingly enough, in history there were apparently some cases of turkeys whose heads actually did turn black because of this disease. It is a major concern for farmers keeping both chickens and turkeys. Chickens and turkeys can spread diseases to one another, and blackhead disease is one of the most common diseases that is spread between the two birds. In fact, no wild turkeys have ever been linked to disease outbreaks in domestic poultry or cattle. When turkeys ingest Heterakis worm eggs that are infected with blackhead, the blackhead emerges in the gut and burrows into the caecal wall causing inflammation and diarrhoea. While death losses often reach 80- 100 per cent in domestic turkeys, a different face of the disease is seen in chickens. And if you keep both chickens and turkeys, then ensure separate house for each birds. The wild turkey, a common game bird in North America, as well as peafowl and certain other gallinaceous birds often fall victim to this disease. I encourage you to keep all comments and suggestions coming up because I love to read them! Good control of worms through regular worming, keeping away wild birds and having good biosecurity can all be effective control methods - as is a fresh foot dip and clean wellies!! It attacks the digestive track and livers of birds three to 18 weeks of age, and the government of Alberta, Canada states that blackhead can result in 100 percent mortality in a turkey flock, causing economic damage to the flock owner. It can also affect turkey birds even it causes no symptoms in chickens. Despite the limited number of confirmed reports, histomoniasis is an important disease of wild turkeys… I have been told in some very nasty comments over the last 2 or so years that keeping turkeys and chickens … It particularly affects young turkeys. Blackhead, also known as Histomoniasis, is a disease of particular concern in this study because it is one of the most important parasitic diseases in wild turkeys and is shed in the feces of affected birds. Can somebody recommend me the best treatment for blackhead disease? Several years ago my neighbor had some turkey poults and I just had to have a cute baby turkey! It can be used as feed additives as it can also be used for prevention. Turkeys and “Blackhead” Disease. Because the disease is transmitted in the eggs. ... Wild birds and chickens should be kept away from the flock. And the dosage as well? Blackhead disease (histomoniasis) is an important poultry disease that affects turkeys, chickens, and game birds such as partridges, pheasants, and quail. My largest tom I lovingly named “Turk.” He would sit on my lap and snatch mosquitos off of me before they could start biting, he would cluck at me and follow me around like I was the leader of the flock. Histomoniasis, also known as blackhead disease, is a parasitic disease caused by infection with the protozoan parasite, Histomonas meleagridis.The disease was named "blackhead disease" because one of the common symptoms observed in infected birds is a bluish or blackish appearance of the skin on their face, comb, and wattles.