I'm new here and have a huge problem.

[wildwillow]

Hi, I fell in love with chickens, then ducks, and this year my teenager wanted turkeys. Well you know what happens. To the point, this morning we where awakened by the horrible sound again, our dog had gotten hold of one of the turkeys, we found the other in the barn hiding. 1 has a gaping open wound on his side, the whole thing is a mess. the other has a wound under his neck. My question is, should we just butcher them now and save the pain of trying to recover them only to butcher them closer to the holidays? and what do I do with the bruised meat? I'm sure the breast on the one is bruised. should I hold them for a couple days and see if they start to recover? Help!

 

[chseeads]

When I was a kid and had turkeys, they used to harrass the dogs that were chained up and get close enough to get bitten, or I think maybe some might have got hurt by flying down off the hillside and hitting a barbwire fence at the bottom.....

Nevertheless, there were various times that we had turkeys get cuts and gashes.

My sister and dad would just sew them up with a needle and thread, literally...just regular old thread, like sewing cloth together or something.....

The goofy old buzzards would heal up and be fine. You could cut the thread out after they healed up if it didn't fall out.... I remember one turkey hen one time that ran around with a string of thread dangling from her breast...lol

 

[chickenannie]

You might want to butcher them now -- you have to make a judgement -- their care may be very intense and they may not heal. I would also take into account if they are suffering. Others will know if it is ok to eat bruised meat -- I don't know....

I tried to treat 2 badly injured turkeys last year, and now I wish I had put them out of their misery immediately. They died after a 24-36 hour period despite our considerable treatment of their very bad wounds.

 

[MandyH]

We have turkeys injured badly several times a year due to one thing or another. I always disinfect with an Iodine solution and spray the area with Blu-Kote, and then turn them back out. I have never had one die, that I have done this to. It's hard to give advice without seeing a pic of the wound.

 

[wildwillow]

I have them penned in the garage now with fresh water and food, they are still hangin in there. I'm thinking its to late to butcher now. I have added some antibiotic to there water and left them alone other than checking them and feeding and cleaning the pen. They are up and walking and even starting to talk more. They where injured saturday morning, think I can still butcher them later today or first thing tuesday morning? We just haven't had the time, and its our first experience butching.

thank you,

Theresa

 

[taraann81]

My dog recently got and killed one of my turkeys as well. I keep my dogs penned when my birds free range. This turkey must have been on a suicide mission. He flew up and over a 6 ft fence into the dogs area. Before he flew in the dogs were barking at the fence at him. The turkey new the dogs were there. I thought they were safe

Now I'm putting bird netting on top of my dog pen to keep birds out.

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
If you have them on antibiotics you don't want to butcher them until several weeks after they finish the antibiotics. Otherwise they will still be full of antibiotics and anyone who eats them will be ingesting the antibiotics, too.

Check the fine print on that particular brand and see what their recommendation is. My vet has always said at least a month for it to clear the bird's system.

Good luck and

!

 

[wildwillow]

Thats what I figured, I just didn't want them to not get treated so I did what I thought was best at the time. I figure we will have them for Christmas and thanksgiving.

 

[wildwillow]

Just wanted let folks know the turkeys are doing well. One of them seems ready to join the flock again. I'm going to wait until the weekend. The other needs more time, I don't want him to be lonely, so I'll keep them both in until I just can't do it anymore.

 

[Vince]

Them durn turkeys are some tuff critters. Just hope they learn to avoid the dogs.