Advise needed.....Life or death for one of our turkey hens.........

[hawntiki]

I am new to this forum and growing turkeys.....
We had two bronze toms and two hens. Both toms beat up one hen fairly badly (couldn't walk, couldn't stand, bloody face and bruises, but no external damage). We put her in a pen by her self and started nursing her. It was convenient timing, so we invited one of the toms in for Thanksgiving dinner....... A few days pass, she is recovering steadily. We noticed the other hen was limping a little and on closer examination we found she had a bad wound under her wing. We split the pen in half and started treating both. The first one is much better. She has started laying eggs.....
The second one is the one I am worrying about. We have been treating the wound with antibiotics and tea tree oil to keep her from pecking it and making it worse. The wound seems to be improving. However, She also seems to have started laying, but not successfully. Two days ago, when my wife was feeding them she noticed her vent was extended out about three inches and my wife "helped her" pass a soft egg. Her vent retracted some, but not all the way. It is still extended about one to two inches, and has a milky discharge. Could the tom have injured her internally as well? She is eating, drinking and walking.
I do not like seeing an animal in pain. Any ideas what is wrong? Any thoughts on her chance of recovery?
Thanks all!
Jim

 

[ivan3]

Welcome! Sorry about your troubles. First, quit using tea tree oil (if rubbed into roosts, or sprayed into cracks/gaps in walls it is VERY good in keeping external parasites at bay - as effective as Eprinex at killing them) directly on hen. It can be toxic when used directly on poultry (some more sensitive than others but not a good idea).
From your description it sounds like the hen has prolapsed (either from stress/injury or genetic predisposition it is hard to know). That the tissue has remained exposed, outside of her body, for as long as it has is usually a death sentence (dries and then rots). Prolapse is difficult to treat in chooks and even more difficult with turks. If the tissue still appears `healthy' you could glove up, squirt on some prep-h and gently push back into body. If this succeeds- isn't immediately expelled, again, then place her in a location with VERY low light - suppress egg laying (feed small portions of Starter and scrambled/hard boiled eggs, add 4 drops of Polyvisol Enfamil vitamins - iron free formulation - to water). Continue to apply the prepH as needed. If the tissue continues to be expelled, spontaneously, then putting her down is pretty much the kindest thing to do. Even if you manage to relieve this episode the potential for subsequent prolapse is likely.

If you need to use a substance on injury to prevent picking pine tar cut with plain neosporin is effective (blu-kote is less difficult/messy to work with) but only on areas that can't be dressed (covered) and only if picking is persistent and causing further injury.

Good luck!