In the current study, muscle samples purchased from 100 housed hens, 25 turkeys and 18 ducks in Elazığ and towns of Sivrice, Baskil and Keban as well as various villages in Elazığ province, and 20 hunted partridges together with 21 pigeons were examined for Sarcocystis.

No macrocyst was evident in any of fowls examined. In analyses of breast, neck, leg and heart muscle samples by digestion technique, microcysts were found in 38 out of 100 housed hens (38%), 5 out of 25 turkeys (20%) and 2 out of 20 partridges (10%) but none was detected in ducks and pigeons.

Two species of microscopic Sarcocystis cysts were observed in housed hens. The first, S. horvathi cysts were 68.5 x 652.5 µm, and found to be unclearly chambered. The cyst wall contained finger-like protrusions measuring 2.3-3.2 µm. Bananashaped bradyzoites of the parasite were found to be 2.25 x 10.15 µm. The second Sarcocystis sp. cysts, which was chambered, were 61.93 x 543.75 µm and found to include a wall with finger-like protrusions measuring 1.0-2.2 µm thick. Bradyzoites of the species were 2.3 x 15.7 µm and in a lancetshaped.

The most of Sarcocystis horvathi in housed hens were observed in neck muscles (65.8%), whereas Sarcocystis sp. were mostly found in breast muscles (23.7%).

In examinations of turkeys and partridges, Sarcocystis spp. cysts in turkeys were observed in neck, leg and breast muscles, whereas in partridges being neck muscles only. No microscopic cysts were detected in heart muscles of fowls. On the other hand, in housed hens infected with microscopic cysts histopathologic lesions were observed, but the lesions were less prominent in turkeys and partridges.