Baby turkey with swollen "knee"... can't walk.

[mhayes1073]

New to this. First time with turkeys. Have 3 and one can't walk and won't groom feathers. They are about 12 wks old. Help!!!

 

[ivan3]

Hi!

What variety turk?
What are you feeding them?
Can you post a pic? (toes on weak leg curled? Direction leg is turned, etc.)
Did you just get them, or did this start some time ago and progressively get worse?

 

[mhayes1073]

Yes the other leg seems curled. She/he won't walk on the other at all. The other two turks are fine. They all seemed healthy when I bought them a week ago. Feeding starter grow. What do you think?

 

[ivan3]

This can be tough.

1. Get some Polyvisol enfamil (without iron) vitamins. Give three drops a day for a week and then taper off.
2. Add one plain 325mg. Aspirin per pint of water (inflammation).
3. Try feeding some crushed hard boiled eggs and meal worms.

Take a look at this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=436062
(turks being bigger, you could try vetwrap instead of bandaids)

And, the splinting in this chapter: http://www.avianmedicine.net/ampa/16.pdf

That it only recently developed gives one some hope that regaining use of leg might be possible. You did not say if this was a heritage or a commercial turk (can make a difference).

It could be spraddle leg/injury/genetics (resulting in arthritic process)

Good luck!

 

[lauriegrove]

yah its really nice

 

[chickensioux]

Yes, try using Vetwrap. Its great stuff. Feedstores or local vet office should carry it.

 

[Paegglvr]

I had the same thing happen to one of my poults.... its sad. Doesn't sound like spraddle leg, that would have happened when it was smaller.

If the leg is curled, and the poult doesn't want to/can't straighten it could be a slipped Achilles tendon. You can try to push it back in place by squeezing it, trying to get the tendon back into the groove.

good luck.

 

[mhayes1073]

Thank you ALLLLL who posted with advice. I'm not going to give up on the babe.
Anybody know about goats? Got a prob with one of mine having an open wound on his back. Looks like he was attacked, but not really possible. Giving him pen shots every day.

 

[chickensioux]

Can you post a pic of the wound on your goat? If not, if you are giving antibiotic shots all you probably need to do is keep the wound clean with betadine. You can cover it with neosporin and a patch if it will stay on. Or just put the cream on it then apply some sort of spray to keep the flies and gnats off of the wound. Does it look infected? Pus? Smell?

 

[nickjam]

I hate to revive an old thread from '09, but this proves I searched before I posted...

Have a turkey, 1 of 13 in a 4'X4' brooder box, 7 weeks old.

All are healthy and acting normally, but....

This one is hurt about 24 hours ago. Nice bruise and one swollen knee. Will not walk. I have it isolated with it's own food and water ATM. How can I help her survive?

I am scheduled to move all 13 outside in about a week, but want to keep all 13 alive if I can.



Thank you,

NICK