HELP! does any one know what's making my Turkey's legg's weak?

[Ravenworks71]

I had three Bronze Turkey's, I had to put one of them down today. "Larry" a few days ago, started to look "knock kneed". Then I woke up one morning to find he could not move his right leg. After looking him over I noticed that his "elbow" was larger than the other, yet there was no fracture, or sign of injury (open wound). I put him on antibiotics thinking he had some sort of infection, but he never improved. He just got worse and could no longer stand up today. Both of his legs were bowing inward and his feet were turning outward and his toes were all pointing forward and held close together ( Like if your hands were in mittens).

I did some research online and found an article on Biotin/Ascorbic Acid (vit. C) deficiency's in Turkeys. It seems to be right on! However, what would be the dosage is a bit of a mystery to me, since the document states that 300ppb if biotin was sufficient to prevent this problem. What is a ppb? And has anybody out there had this problem before or can you recommend a different diet that has a higher Biotin content? I still have Curly and Moe, and I desperately want to save them!

Please Help!

 

[aussieheelr]

If they're the broad breasted bronze, which it sounds like they are, they don't live long due to their weight. They have been developed for meat, much like the meatie chickens they can't support their weight. If you want a turkey that will live longer than a year you'll need to get a herritage breed like burbon reds, royal palms etc.
Sorry about your turkey.

 

[pdpatch]

How old are the turkeys and what are you feeding them?

From 1 day to about 7 to 9 weeks you should have them on a wild game starter, this has the extra minerals and vitamins the turkey's need to convert there food. You can get a generic vitamin supplement you can add to there water many farm store, vets, and hatcheries sale it. We used 1/2 teaspoon for a gallon of water. Don't have any extra calcium for them like oyster shell until the females start laying and only if they have thin shells, this extra calcium can also cause the leg problems you described.


ppb = parts per billion .

 

[Ravenworks71]

He was only 1 month old and he was not a broad breasted ( or at least that's what the people I bought them from told me). I have no Oyster shell down, and have them on the higher protein food recommended by the seller of the Turkeys. Also I have the powdered vitamin and electrolyte stuff for the water. They are in a separate brooder away from my chickens, but now I wonder if I should not have purchased Turkeys, with all the trouble I'm having with them, which is a bummer, I really like Turkeys...and not just for eating.

Thank you for the advise everyone, I will look into the other breeds next time and go pick up some wild game starter!