Crooked Neck Turkey***UPDATE #2 **

[kuntrygirl]

I came home today from work and found my turkey in the middle of the pasture with his head about 12 inches from the ground in a very crooked position. His neck looks distorted. I have NO idea what happened to him. I moved close to him and he walked away very quickly. Once he stopped, he put his head in a downward position but it's crooked. I don't see any visible bruised or injuries. I tried to take a pic. This was as close as I could get without him running away. Has anyone ever seen this or experienced this before with any of their turkeys? I'm totally confused as to what happened. He also has diarrhea. This is very unusual.

Edit to add another pic

 

[L0rraine]

Something very similar just happened to our neighbors turkey recently. She went in the pen and his head was drooping near the ground and his body was a bit cockeyed. It was as if someone had fallen on him or something. She isolated him in a pen next to our fence and was afraid he was just going to die. I can't tell you what it was, but they put some kind of medicine in his water (that I believe they purchased from the feed store) and spent time each day encouraging him to drink and eat. And each day he looked a little better, and one day his 'gobble' came back and now (about three weeks later) you can't tell there was ever anything wrong with him.

I wish I had better information, but I'm afraid I don't see the neighbor on a regular basis, but the condition does sound very similar and there was a happy outcome, so I'm hoping someone else on this here will have some better information for you.

 

[chickenannie]

When my turkey was attacked by a fox, he couldn't hold his head up very well -- he had puncture wounds that we couldn't see. I'm wondering if your tom has been injured. Perhaps he should be put carefully checked for wounds or put in a hospital pen in case their is a dog or other predator getting at him. Could he have gotten his head stuck somewhere and injured that way?

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
He is in an area where he is with chickens, geese, ducks and sheep. I don't think the sheep could have injured him but I'm not 100% sure. The female sheep are tame but ram is a little rambuncious but i have never seen him charge at the turkey. There is a possibility that he could have gotten his neck stuck somewhere. But how do u fix that?

I caught the turkey yesterday and today and did a beak to toenail check and I couldnt find any injuries but i could be missing something. I don't know if he is eating or not. I gave him cooked eggs, liquid vitamins and some pedialyte. I am keeping a close eye on him.

What happened with your turkey? Did ur turkey make it or not?

 

[onthespot]

I did that to one of my midget white hens about a month or two ago. I was holding her (probably wrong way) to get a good look at her eyes and I think I crooked her neck. She got better on her own. Took about three weeks to go straight again. If I were you I would put that turkey in isolation for its own good until it heals up, if that is what is wrong with it. (strained muscle)

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
Wow. That is encouraging to know that the turkey snapped back literally. The description of your neighbor's turkey sounds exactly like the behavior of my turkey. I wish i knew what I could give to him to make him snap back. I won't give up on him. I will work with him and do everything I need to do to get him back to his old gobble gobble self.

 

[chickenannie]

Quote:
He is in an area where he is with chickens, geese, ducks and sheep. I don't think the sheep could have injured him but I'm not 100% sure. The female sheep are tame but ram is a little rambuncious but i have never seen him charge at the turkey. There is a possibility that he could have gotten his neck stuck somewhere. But how do u fix that?

I caught the turkey yesterday and today and did a beak to toenail check and I couldnt find any injuries but i could be missing something. I don't know if he is eating or not. I gave him cooked eggs, liquid vitamins and some pedialyte. I am keeping a close eye on him.

What happened with your turkey? Did ur turkey make it or not?

My tom did not make it, but I think he was much more serious than yours, so I wouldn't use it as a similar issue.

 

[kuntrygirl]

UPDATE:

After 2 days of hand feeding boiled eggs, squirting syringes of pedialtye and Enfamil Poly-Vi-Sol Multivitamins for infants and toddlers down my tom's throat, my turkey has finally shown some signs of hope. He had been roosting on the ground with his head almost touching the ground with open wings. Tonight, after 30 minutes of hand feeding him, he flew on the fence that he usually roosts on and is now sleeping. I am so happy. I hope that this is a sign that he is on the road to recovery. I will go to the store to get some Tylan for him on tomorrow and give that to him as well. I will keep everyone updated.

 

[chickenannie]

Yay!!!! glad to hear he's feeling stronger!

 

[archerobx]

great