Blind Turkey Care?

[Omniskies]

I bought a turkey today that had been blinded in a brooder accident as a baby. She has been blind for most of her life (born in April) and was being picked on.

I have a young tom I would like to put her with to see if he would take care of her. I was wondering what experience everyone has had with blind birds. How do they decide where to nest? Are they usually ostracized from a flock? Will they be over-romanced by males?

Any information would be helpful.

 

[jasonm11]

Quote:

 

[ivan3]

Can you keep them on opposite sides of a fence for a while? I would just spend as much time as I could observing their behavior, closely. Wish I had some better advice. Good luck! Please keep posting on how this `integration' progresses.

 

[MovieFanz]

I have a crippled turkey, that makes a great foster Mom to all of my poults. She would be killed if put with any adult turkeys. She seems happy to have a job.

 

[lilchick]

No experience with turkey hens being blind. I do have a silver laced cochin hen that gradually went blind. She is 12 yrs. old now and stays in a group of other large cochins. As long as feed and water is in the same place she does fine. She will even go just outside the barn doorway and lay in sun. I have them in a secure pen so I do not worry about her wandering off.
She seems to have developed a good sense of hearing over the blindness. She hears me come into barn and when the feeder is being filled she walks with her head down like a cane and taps the floor. Others in her pen do not pick on her but I would not chance moving her to a different pen.
I would think the blindness would not hamper her broodiness but might affect her ability to raise them. Just keep her in a secure pen and observe the tom when put in with her. Toms are not like roosters when it comes to mating. They will strut around and show off. It is the hen who decides the mating by setting down for the tom. So not much worry of her being overmated.. Takes extra work but if you are willing to do that she should do fine...

 

[MovieFanz]

It is the hen who decides the mating by setting down for the tom. So not much worry of her being overmated.. Takes extra work but if you are willing to do that she should do fine...

The turkeys have a hormonal response that makes them squat. They have no mental choice about it. Hormones are very strong. They can be injured. Multiple males will increase that chance.​

 

[toto65]

I have a Blue slate hen who is blind. she was that way when I got her, in fact I named her "Batty". she get along just fine with her flockmates. when I moved her she was a little hesitant at first and even spent one night outdoors becasue she could not find the door to come in. I went out after dark and didn't notice that she was missing and DH found her the next morning sleeping just outside the door in the run. After that the old BR tom that was one of her original mates refused to come in if she was left outside. And HE is blind in one eye from fighting as a young bird. Of my hens, Batty seems the most maternal of all and has been mothering the younger birds in the coop.