BR Turkey with some really interesting "issues"

[CARS]

I picked up some Bourbon Red Turkey poults this spring (2010) and one of them we called Circles because it always turned it's head and walked in circles. Kinda weird, but cute.

Well the last week she is getting worse. Her neck goes straight down and then U's back up with the head straight up against her body. She also walks backwards. Into everything. It sees me and backs right into me. It stands in the corner or up against the feeder/waterers and can't seem to walk forward.

Every once in a while it is normal. But 95% of the time she is in reverse.

What do you think is happening? Something like an inner ear infection causing the balance to be off?? What should I do???

 

[kuntrygirl]

Does it look like this?

 

[CARS]

Yes, that is very similar. What is it?

 

[kuntrygirl]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=331774



Here is the thread that I started on BYC about the crocked neck.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=258511&p=1

 

[kuntrygirl]

It's wry neck or crooked neck.

 

[CARS]

Thanks Kuntrygirl. I read the link and am about to go to the vet this week. I just thought I better follow up.

I took some pictures the other day and finally uploaded them:

Poor girl looks nothing like her sisters:

 

[CARS]

Follow up question. Lets say I can "cure" the Turk, Is it going to be good for breeding or is this a genetic issue and I should cull??

 

[Tunastopper]

I think your biggest clue is your turkey has had this a long time.


When I read on line it said. Don Schrider's (ALBC & Master Breeder) comments might be helpful and so for informational purposes for the forum:

". . .he does not think the wry neck is a genetic issue. He said it can also be nutritional, incubational, accidental or disease. He said he feels good about eliminating nutritional and disease so that leaves incubational or accidental. He said most likely if you had a hatch whereby the chick was a late hatcher that is most likely the reason. He said chicks that are late that also are combined with having difficulty getting out of the shell can develop wry neck or crooked toes. He said in addition to that, crooked toes can be a result of inbreeding when numbers are low but can also be caused due to low humidity in the incubator and late hatching because if the chick is in the shell too long and the toes remain curled up for a length of time they could be crooked for life, or also to the use of infra-red heat bulbs. He said that was in a University of Minnesota study. He said his feeling is it might be a humidity issue on all accounts and he was positive about it all and pretty comfortable with it not being anything genetic, nutritional or disease. "

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
Well, I'm not a turkey whisperer or anything like that but I have read that it is nutritional as well. For me, I would not cull but that's just me. I was able to catch and cure my Tom turkey almost immediately. Since curing him of this, he has bred with 2 female turkeys and they have hatched about 20 baby poults and only 1 didn't make it. I"m not sure what was wrong with her but she didn't have the same crooked neck. I had about 3 that had what I called F.O.S. (flip over syndrome) and I don't know if that had anything to do with the Tom and his crooked neck. I was able to "fix" the flip over with a little physical therapy program and they are fine today. But if you are breeding, you may want to do some research to get more information.

How is your turkey? Are you giving her any medication? What's the status on her? Please keep us posted. I"m anxious to find out.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
I don't breed any turkeys with any type of "issues" at all. Slow growth, keeping off themselves, runts etc etc etc get the black leg band with marks a cull here, only the best of the best make it to breeder status. Alot of the "experts" and cut and paste people will tell you it isn't passed on but I can tell from personal experience that if you cull heavy your overall flock health will improve by leaps and bounds. I haven't had a curled toe or wry neck turkey in many years, on the other side we got pheasants last year and about 1 in 30 have wry necks, give me a couple years for an update on them. They eat the same feed, hatch in the same 'bator so you tell me where it comes from?

Steve