ChickenScratchFeathers
Chirping
- Dec 3, 2023
- 51
- 73
- 59
Hello everyone. I come with concerns about a baby turkey poult I have. It is a 6-day-old BBW male turkey poult. I picked up 2 poults from the fairgrounds, who ordered them all from a hatchery. I noticed one poult was stumbling a little, but I just assumed it was the first-day walking stumbles, that every chick has. Fast forward to 6 days later, it is noticeably worse. The other poult holds himself high, walks fast, runs to me, and is always up and walking, he's eating and drinking well. The other baby almost walks in a crouch, he holds himself low, he's a slower walker, he stumbles a lot, and when he walks, its one foot in front of the other.
Here is a link to a video of him walking.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RM84UMCeZy3tnBJsl8jGXg84IE2UUWv4/view?usp=sharing
He is much less active, typically laying down a lot more. He is eating and drinking well and still gets up to walk around though, despite the difficulties he is having. They both get along and aren't bullied. But it's just that one who is having problems. I don't notice any swelling in the joints or hocks, and I don't see much red on the hocks either. When he stands straight, you wouldn't notice that anything is wrong, it's just noticeable when he walks. It appears that his legs might be splaying inwards.
This makes me immediately suspect a vitamin deficiency, but I would think the starter feed they are getting would contain everything they need. I have heard that's not the case though.
I have had a heat lamp set up, and have been monitoring the temp very closely. right next to the turkey brooder, I have 14 baby chickens in their own brooder box. So, I had the heat lamp at around 95. I always struggle with the heat lamp being too hot, no matter how high I raise it. I usually stay to keep an eye on that temp, and the babies never showed any signs of heat stress. well, yesterday, I raised the heat lamp a little higher, to lower the temp. It did the opposite. I was outside working for most of the day with my honey bees, so I didn't see the temperature spike to almost 100. everyone was panting. I turned off the lamp, and haven't turned it on since, since it is 85 degrees in the room they are staying in. Everyone is acting okay today, but it crosses my mind that it may have made the turkey poult leg condition worse. I'm worried that maybe because they got too hot, it might have caused this leg problem. or maybe caused it to become worse?
Another thing that crossed my mind is these turkeys are imprinted on me, so they try to jump out of the brooder box daily to come and find me. so it crossed my mind he may have hurt himself that way. but I find that very unlikely. but whatever it is, it is a problem.. and for a BBW turkey, legs are the thing you don't want problems with... the fate of this poult, is that he is for my brother's fair project, and then will live out the rest of his days with us as a loved pet. (I know you shouldn't keep bbw as pets, but they're just too cute for us to put them on our dinner table..)
Their brooder box is a large tote bin, with pine woodchip bedding. They are being fed Hubbard's medicated turkey starter feed. I am also giving them Sav-A-Chick probiotics and electrolytes, which I always like to do the first week they are born. I've raised chickens for years, and I have 3 other BBW males who've had for a year now, but this is my first time personally raising turkey poults. I'm not sure if it is something I did wrong? or not. or something I made worse? is this something that will get better or worse as he ages?
Another thing that I noticed him doing, that he just started today, is he appears to be swallowing hard... as if he maybe swallowed a woodchip he shouldn't have. Or maybe.. that's another symptom of why he's walking funny. His crop feels pretty hard after I just felt it. I'm assuming this is not normal, as the other poults is much less firm. I heard that turkey poults might try to swallow wood chips, I hope this is not the case. I typically have never used woodchips, and I use straw...this is my firs time using woodchips for baby chicks. I'm worried he might have an impacted crop now too... is there any way to help this? or is this... fatal...
If there is anything I can do, please let me know, everything is greatly appreciated. I am very attached to these turkey poults. So if I could save him it would be great!
Here is a link to a video of him walking.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RM84UMCeZy3tnBJsl8jGXg84IE2UUWv4/view?usp=sharing
Here is a link to a video of him walking.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RM84UMCeZy3tnBJsl8jGXg84IE2UUWv4/view?usp=sharing
He is much less active, typically laying down a lot more. He is eating and drinking well and still gets up to walk around though, despite the difficulties he is having. They both get along and aren't bullied. But it's just that one who is having problems. I don't notice any swelling in the joints or hocks, and I don't see much red on the hocks either. When he stands straight, you wouldn't notice that anything is wrong, it's just noticeable when he walks. It appears that his legs might be splaying inwards.
This makes me immediately suspect a vitamin deficiency, but I would think the starter feed they are getting would contain everything they need. I have heard that's not the case though.
I have had a heat lamp set up, and have been monitoring the temp very closely. right next to the turkey brooder, I have 14 baby chickens in their own brooder box. So, I had the heat lamp at around 95. I always struggle with the heat lamp being too hot, no matter how high I raise it. I usually stay to keep an eye on that temp, and the babies never showed any signs of heat stress. well, yesterday, I raised the heat lamp a little higher, to lower the temp. It did the opposite. I was outside working for most of the day with my honey bees, so I didn't see the temperature spike to almost 100. everyone was panting. I turned off the lamp, and haven't turned it on since, since it is 85 degrees in the room they are staying in. Everyone is acting okay today, but it crosses my mind that it may have made the turkey poult leg condition worse. I'm worried that maybe because they got too hot, it might have caused this leg problem. or maybe caused it to become worse?
Another thing that crossed my mind is these turkeys are imprinted on me, so they try to jump out of the brooder box daily to come and find me. so it crossed my mind he may have hurt himself that way. but I find that very unlikely. but whatever it is, it is a problem.. and for a BBW turkey, legs are the thing you don't want problems with... the fate of this poult, is that he is for my brother's fair project, and then will live out the rest of his days with us as a loved pet. (I know you shouldn't keep bbw as pets, but they're just too cute for us to put them on our dinner table..)
Their brooder box is a large tote bin, with pine woodchip bedding. They are being fed Hubbard's medicated turkey starter feed. I am also giving them Sav-A-Chick probiotics and electrolytes, which I always like to do the first week they are born. I've raised chickens for years, and I have 3 other BBW males who've had for a year now, but this is my first time personally raising turkey poults. I'm not sure if it is something I did wrong? or not. or something I made worse? is this something that will get better or worse as he ages?
Another thing that I noticed him doing, that he just started today, is he appears to be swallowing hard... as if he maybe swallowed a woodchip he shouldn't have. Or maybe.. that's another symptom of why he's walking funny. His crop feels pretty hard after I just felt it. I'm assuming this is not normal, as the other poults is much less firm. I heard that turkey poults might try to swallow wood chips, I hope this is not the case. I typically have never used woodchips, and I use straw...this is my firs time using woodchips for baby chicks. I'm worried he might have an impacted crop now too... is there any way to help this? or is this... fatal...
If there is anything I can do, please let me know, everything is greatly appreciated. I am very attached to these turkey poults. So if I could save him it would be great!
Here is a link to a video of him walking.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RM84UMCeZy3tnBJsl8jGXg84IE2UUWv4/view?usp=sharing
