Desnooding & Management Tasks

Desnooding: Why and How

The snood is full of blood vessels. When turkeys fight or even play-peck, the snood is the first thing to get bitten.

• The Reason: Once a snood is torn, it bleeds heavily. Turkeys are attracted to the color red; they will continue pecking at the wound until the bird is severely injured or dead. It is also a common site for the spread of Erysipelas, a nasty bacterial infection.

• The Timing: The best time to desnood is at one day old. At this age, the snood is just a small “pimple” on the head.

• The Method: Using a pair of small, sterilized surgical scissors or even sharp fingernail clippers, gently snip the small sprout of skin off.

• Aftercare: Press a clean cloth to the spot for a second. At one day old, there is almost no bleeding and the bird forgets about it in minutes.

Wing Clipping: Managing the High Jumpers

Unlike heavy meat-breed chickens, even a large turkey can clear a 6-foot fence if it gets a good running start.

• The Goal: You only want to clip the Primary Flight Feathers on one wing only.

• The Logic: By clipping only one side, you make the bird “unbalanced.” When it tries to fly, it tips over to one side and stays on the ground.

• The Safety: Never cut the “blood feathers” (new feathers that are still growing and have a dark quill). Only cut the long, clear-quilled feathers at the very end of the wing.

Toe Clipping (For Breeding Toms)

If you are keeping heavy commercial Toms for breeding, their claws can be like knives. During mating, they can easily rip the skin off a Hen’s back.

• The Task: Use heavy-duty pet nail clippers to blunt the ends of the Tom’s inner toes and thumbs.

• Alternative: If you missed the window to clip them while young, you can use a metal file to smooth down the sharp points.

Case Study: Wanjiku’s Red Mist Disaster in Nyeri

Wanjiku decided not to desnood her 100 Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys because she thought it was too much work. By Week 18, her Toms were massive and began fighting for dominance. One Tom had its snood ripped open. Within two hours, three other birds had joined in the pecking. By the next morning, five of her largest birds – worth KES 5,000 each – were dead from head injuries. She learned the hard way that a 5-second task on Day 1 could have saved KES 25,000 in Month 5.

Important Things to Keep in Mind

• Sterilization is Non-Negotiable: Always dip your tools in methylated spirit, iodine, or boiling water between birds. If you don’t, you will spread infections from one bird to the next.

• The Purple Spray: Always keep a bottle of Gentian Violet (Purple Spray) in your pocket. If any bird has a scratch or a bloody spot, spray it immediately. The purple color hides the red blood, stopping other birds from pecking.

• Humane Handling: When catching turkeys for these tasks, never grab them by the legs alone, as their heavy bodies can easily suffer hip dislocations. Support the breast with one hand and hold the legs with the other.