Help!! My turkey won't stand up!

[tbarter]

I am having the same problem with my turkey I have never had turkeys before but I love animals my neighbor moved out of state and gave me all his birds the chickens r fine and in a separate cage then the turkeys I had 5 turkeys all about 2 or 3 months old now I don't know what kind they r just that they r domestic I had 3 white and 2 black and white and all of a sudden 1 white and 1 black and white died a few weeks ago now I have another black and white that can't move just lays on its side no injuries its eating and drinking just fine its hot were I live but the cage is in the shade and the turkey is shivering the other 2 r fine so I separated the turkey and brought it in the house for now I was hoping someone could help me out with this problem

 

[SillyChicken]

Post a photo for ID.

if your bird has put weight on fast or is simply huge breasted and having trouble waling around... he could be a broad breasted variety (white or bronze). Often people buy these birds thinking I'm going to raise them up and breed them or keep as pets....... sorry, but you will be sending them to freezer camp. Only heritage breed turkeys can be kept for breeding and long term. BB turkeys are genetically modified to grow meat fast to be processed fast, that is all.

 

[NikNaksChickShack]

Please help!!!
I just hatched a baby turkey and its having issues walking... it's like its hips are pointing out... idk what exactly to do and I feel so bad for it

 

[Molpet]

Look up Splayed leg
Try putting it in a cup

 

[NikNaksChickShack]

That's what I'm trying tonight...

 

[aesymms]

I have two broad breasted hens and a red bourbon Tom. One hen is still walking but the other one stopped completely. I took her to an avian vet and she checked for bumble foot but that was not her problem. She explained that the BB turkeys were never bred to live over 6 months. The hens are now two years old. She put the lame hen on some anti-inflammatories and a strict diet. She has gone form 36 pounds to 28 pounds but is still not walking. The one that still walks was mating with my bourbon red tom and he tore up her sides with his weight. I have since separated both females and put them in their own pen. They do not seem in distress but the one is still not walking. I feel terrible because I bought them just as pets and had no intention of killing them for food. I don't know if I am doing them any favor by keeping them alive. Any humane way of putting them down gently?

 

[R2elk]

The one that still walks was mating with my bourbon red tom and he tore up her sides with his weight.

It was not his weight that caused the problem. In cases like this the injuries are usually due to unwanted mating attempts. These usually happen when the tom takes the hen sitting on a nest as an invitation to breed. Toms should not be allowed access to a hen's nest.

Hen saddles are available to help protect the hen during mating. It also can be helpful to trim the tom's toenails. If they are dulled, they won't be as likely to tear the hen open when the tom slips during mating attempts.

 

[aesymms]

It was not his weight that caused the problem. In cases like this the injuries are usually due to unwanted mating attempts. These usually happen when the tom takes the hen sitting on a nest as an invitation to breed. Toms should not be allowed access to a hen's nest.

Hen saddles are available to help protect the hen during mating. It also can be helpful to trim the tom's toenails. If they are dulled, they won't be as likely to tear the hen open when the tom slips during mating attempts.

Thank you for your input. I have watched him mate constantly with no nest in sight so that can't be the reason. Everything I have read says that the BB turkeys are not meant to breed naturally and are artificially inseminated instead. I think My Tom needs a heritage turkey hen. Or three. I will be keeping the BB hens separated from the Tom for as long as they last. It seems rather cruel to have a hen have to wear a saddle. They don't do that in the wild.

 

[R2elk]

Thank you for your input. I have watched him mate constantly with no nest in sight so that can't be the reason. Everything I have read says that the BB turkeys are not meant to breed naturally and are artificially inseminated instead. I think My Tom needs a heritage turkey hen. Or three. I will be keeping the BB hens separated from the Tom for as long as they last. It seems rather cruel to have a hen have to wear a saddle. They don't do that in the wild.

Hens in the wild can easily get away from the toms. They hide their nests very well so the toms have a hard time finding them.

It is not cruel to put a saddle on a hen. I had one older hen that got to wear her saddle all year long. She seemed to appreciate the extra warmth during the winter.

BB turkeys were raised naturally before artificial insemination became a thing. They only used yearling hens and toms for breeding purposes. As they age they become more inflexible and don't do as well at natural breeding. Artificial insemination is used commercially because it is much more efficient and greatly reduces the possibility of injuries to the hens.

Your tom will do better with a heritage hen but as he ages he will get worse at breeding too.

 

[Crazychickenlady72]

theres no breaks in her legs , she`s nt very heavy either . i checked on her earlier and wen i moved her she stood up and just sat there , thts more than she has done 4 a few days . hopefully she`s getting better , thanks 4 trying to help me out much appreiated .

I'm going through the same thing please tell me the outcome or what will help thanks