Diversity of gastrointestinal parasites of turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) under different housing systems in Bessarabia, Ukraine

The development of turkey farming is significantly restrained by parasitic diseases, which have become widespread and cause significant economic losses to specialized- and homestead farms. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of endoparasites in turkeys of different age groups under different maintenance systems and the nature of patho-anatomical changes depending on the course of the disease. A total of 1,869 samples of fecal from turkeys were studied. From turkeys kept in poultry houses, 925 fecal samples and 944 fecal samples from free-range turkeys were examined. In turkeys that were kept in a poultry house, the total infection with endoparasites was 59.8 %, while in free range, it was 63.3 %. The most common in turkeys 30-60 days old from poultry houses are Histomonas meleagridis (21.5 %), Eimeria spp. (11.5 %) and Cryptosporidium baileyi (15.5 %) and in free-range turkeys – Histomonas meleagridis (15.6 %), Eimeria spp. (7.2 %) and Cryptosporidium baileyi (10.8 %). Cryptosporidium baileyi was not observed in turkeys 360 days old or older. Tetratrichomonas gallinarum was most frequently recorded in turkeys 90 – 120 days old from poultry houses (3.8 %) and turkeys 150 – 180 days old in free range (3.7 %). Ascaridia dissimilis is most common in free-range turkeys 90 – 120 days old (11.8 %) and turkeys 150 – 180 days old from poultry houses (9.5 %). Heterakis gallinarum was primarily recorded in turkeys 150 – 180 days old under both systems of keeping with a value range from 16.2 to 17.2 %. Infestation of 150 – 180-day-old free-range turkeys by cestodes Davainea meleagridis and Raillietina echinobothrida was 15.0 % and 12.9 %, respectively. Thus, the diversity and prevalence of gastrointestinal tract invasions depend on the age and housing system of the poultry.