advice for baby's hurt leg, please!

[mamalaoshi]

I have a baby turkey with an injured leg and I have no idea what to do.

Here's what happened... About a month ago one of my wild breed type turkeys (no idea what kind they are, look like eastern wild and narragansett) started flying out of their fenced area to lay eggs in the woods. I couldn't find her nest and about a month ago she stopped coming back at night though she'd show up in the afternoon to eat and then disappear again. Today I found her crouched outside the fence with six little babies that look a couple days old. Usually she will follow me to the gate and walk right in. (She likes flying out but she won't fly back in. What's up with that?) She got nervous when I walked up to her and stepped on one of her babies. The baby laid on the ground for a few seconds and then started flopping around. I ended up taking it inside and putting it in my incubator to keep it warm. I was hoping it just needed a little time.

It's now six hours later. It's hopping around in the incubator but won't put down it's leg. It doesn't look broken but it is sticking out at an angle like it's dislocated possible, the foot is curled up and limp. I have a mama hen in a igloo-type doghouse with a dozen baby chickens that just hatched a few days ago. I thought about putting the baby turkey in with them, where it would have company but not have far to go with its hurt leg. There is no way it can keep up with the turkeys in their yard. I could keep it inside, but turkeys are so social and it keeps crying a lost cry. I don't know if I should splint it or wrap it up somehow. I could cull it but it seems very healthy besides its leg and I've lost so many baby turkeys this year (spring and summer hatches).

Any advice would be much appreciated!

 

[memphis]

Have you posted over in Emergencys? Someone may be able to hrlp. Poor little guy!

 

[mamalaoshi]

I'll post there, thanks.

 

[mamalaoshi]

Update: 24 hours later, my turkey chick is starting to hop around really well on one leg and tentatively uses the tips of his toes on the hurt leg to balance. Today I can see that his knee is black and bruised so that is what was injured when his mom stepped on him. He's using his hip joint just fine, raising the hurt leg up while he hops around.

My biggest problem now is that he's only a couple days old and was hatched by a broody turkey hen who hadn't taught him to eat yet. She brought her babies to the turkey pen to eat and that is where she stepped on him. I've tried spoon feeding it and tapping the dish with my fingers but it's not working. So tonight I'm planning on slipping him under my broody silkie with her 12 babies chicks. They are in a very small enclosed space where he should be safe and able to finish healing.

I also don't think that I should splint the injured leg since it is its knee that is hurt and nothing else.

Any opinions about my plan?

 

[mamalaoshi]

Here's a picture of the baby and how its standing on its uninjured leg and how its holding the injured one. You can see the bruising around the knee if you look close. I couldn't get a clear close up.

 

[mamalaoshi]

Cheepers (turkey's name) is doing better all the time. A couple of days ago, it started putting its foot down when it walks, though it has a definite limp and doesn't put weight on it when standing.

 

[dragonlady12]

On this note, I hate a bronze tom who injured his leg jumping out of the coop when he was about 4-5 months old. (Trying to impress the ladies, I guess.) Anyway, he's now about 14 months older and is having major issues with his leg. It hurts him to get up, walk, lay down, etc. My husband and I both have leg issues and we know now that the weather is getting a bit colder, his leg, like ours, is starting to ache. We have to work it once in a while because it stiffens up like ours do if we it too long. Once he gets up and starts walking, it works itself out a bit and he can move around the yard, but I'm wondering if there is something we can add to his food to help him with the pain. I know arthritis is settling in that hip and knee joint of his.

Thought I'd ask you guys!!

Thanks,
DL

This is him in all his feathered glory.

 

[mamalaoshi]

I don't have any ideas how to help your tom but I had a random question- what kind of chicken is your gray striped chicken standing next to him? We have a chicken that looks like that that we hatched from a batch of eggs we bought from someone that were supposed to be silkies, polish, and RIRs. We can't figure out what she is.

On this note, I hate a bronze tom who injured his leg jumping out of the coop when he was about 4-5 months old. (Trying to impress the ladies, I guess.) Anyway, he's now about 14 months older and is having major issues with his leg. It hurts him to get up, walk, lay down, etc. My husband and I both have leg issues and we know now that the weather is getting a bit colder, his leg, like ours, is starting to ache. We have to work it once in a while because it stiffens up like ours do if we it too long. Once he gets up and starts walking, it works itself out a bit and he can move around the yard, but I'm wondering if there is something we can add to his food to help him with the pain. I know arthritis is settling in that hip and knee joint of his.

Thought I'd ask you guys!!

Thanks,
DL

This is him in all his feathered glory.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Is he a broad breasted, they tend to get too heavy and their legs give out.

 

[dragonlady12]

I don't have any ideas how to help your tom but I had a random question- what kind of chicken is your gray striped chicken standing next to him? We have a chicken that looks like that that we hatched from a batch of eggs we bought from someone that were supposed to be silkies, polish, and RIRs. We can't figure out what she is.

She's an Americana or EE, Her name is Rolo and she's just the softest, sweetest little thing. We have another one, a red-head, and her name is Phyllis Diller and she's soft and sweet too. I'm hooked on the EE's. They are quirky and sweet.