Injured turkey

[Nin8705]

I have a female turkey that’s about 4 1/2 months old. She got attacked by I’m assuming a hawk and her left side of the body has a huge hole in it with a lot of exposed skin. We put blue kote on it and anti pecking spray to keep the chickens away from it when they cross paths, just wondering what else we should do to the area. This is our first year with turkeys and aren’t quite sure what to do. She is still eating and drinking and she will still fast walk with a limo to my husband or myself when we come out to give them treats or see them. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

The only pictures I have my husband had already sprayed blue kote on it. He was the one to find her and didn’t take any pictures before hand

 

[Hobbits Mommie]

Did you disinfect the wound prior to putting the blue kote on? When did this happen?

 

[aart]

Good questions from HM.
Does the hole go into her abdominal cavity?
Some pics still might help.
She should probably be confined so she is not injured further.

 

[Nin8705]

Did you disinfect the wound prior to putting the blue kote on? When did this happen?

I will have to see what my husbands did, he’s the one that found her. It happened Tuesday and he had already sprayed the blue kote on before I had gotten home

 

[Hobbits Mommie]

@aart , @Wyorp Rock @casportpony

 

[R2elk]

I have a female turkey that’s about 4 1/2 months old. She got attacked by I’m assuming a hawk and her left side of the body has a huge hole in it with a lot of exposed skin. We put blue kote on it and anti pecking spray to keep the chickens away from it when they cross paths, just wondering what else we should do to the area. This is our first year with turkeys and aren’t quite sure what to do. She is still eating and drinking and she will still fast walk with a limo to my husband or myself when we come out to give them treats or see them. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

The only pictures I have my husband had already sprayed blue kote on it. He was the one to find her and didn’t take any pictures before hand

The odds are very strong that the injury is a mating wound caused by a tom. As long as the injury is not through into the abdominal cavity, she will most likely heal fine. Turkeys are tough and resilient and can recover from most surface wounds on their own.

Keep her separated from the tom and think about getting her a turkey saddle.

This type of wound usually occurs because of the tom taking the hen sitting on a nest as sign of permission to breed or because you have multiple toms in with hens. One tom mounts the hen and another tom will come along and knock him off her back. The wound usually occurs because of the tom scrambling to stay on the hen's back and rips her side open with his toenails.

Keeping the tom's toenails trimmed and blunted can also help in avoiding this type of injury.

 

[Nin8705]

It’s not the greatest video but you get the idea. I will see if he can send me whatever pics he did take

 

[Nin8705]

The odds are very strong that the injury is a mating wound caused by a tom. As long as the injury is not through into the abdominal cavity, she will most likely heal fine. Turkeys are tough and resilient and can recover from most surface wounds on their own.

Keep her separated from the tom and think about getting her a turkey saddle.

This type of wound usually occurs because of the tom taking the hen sitting on a nest as sign of permission to breed or because you have multiple toms in with hens. One tom mounts the hen and another tom will come along and knock him off her back. The wound usually occurs because of the tom scrambling to stay on the hen's back and rips her side open with his toenails.

Keeping the tom's toenails trimmed and blunted can also help in avoiding this type of injury.

I didn’t even think of the tom doing it. But he very well could have because I did see him trying to get on her last night. I just assumed hawk because we have lost 2 chickens in the past week to one.

In one spot it may go into the abdominal cavity, she does seem to be pretty strong which I’m impressed with. I will definitely be separating her for sure though

 

[Nin8705]

Good questions from HM.
Does the hole go into her abdominal cavity?
Some pics still might help.
She should probably be confined so she is not injured further.

I believe it does. It seems like it’s pretty deep in one spot but I didn’t get a good look at it before he went crazy with the blue kote