Huge Bronze Turkey - Won't walk anymore

[Hartlandpatty]

I have bronze turkey (about 8 months old). She has gotten huge and is having trouble walking, are they like meat chickens in that they get so big they can't support their own weight?

 

[Shadowfire]

Have you checked for bumblefoot?

 

[R2elk]

I have bronze turkey (about 8 months old). She has gotten huge and is having trouble walking, are they like meat chickens in that they get so big they can't support their own weight?

Sounds like a Broad Breasted Bronze. If their diet is not ideal and they do not get lots of exercise to keep from becoming obese, they can be prone to leg troubles that they will not recover from.

 

[ChickNanny13]

I have bronze turkey (about 8 months old). She has gotten huge and is having trouble walking, are they like meat chickens in that they get so big they can't support their own weight?

That's what I was told when I had a pair of the "white" ones. I'm thinking the prior replies are correct, monitoring their nutrition & weight makes sense. We had gotten them in March, August we were taking a family trip (no sitter), so they were about 5 months. At the time I had no knowledge of BYC (1998) & a hunter friend came to help me dispatch them Not to be insensitive and uncaring, their dress out weight Tom 23#, Hen 20# and that's skinned (I didn't want to pluck) and even then the best ever gravy & turkey we ever had for Thanksgiving. Donated one.

 

[jellyfish]

I have a bronze turkey, also 8 months old, that wouldn't get up one day. I kept him isolated for a couple days so the others wouldn't bother him and he's doing fine now.

 

[muddy75]

I had to process my bronze turkeys yesterday. my tom broke his foot trying to fly off the deck while free ranging thursday night. I placed him in the coop to rest but he was not able to get back up. they were 5 months old. he was approximately 24lbs live weight but that was too much for his foot to take. heritage breeds are better if you want to keep for pets.