Is my Turkey SICK?

[Madhouse Mumma]

Hi- I posted in the newbie section then realised I should post here!! I have got 3 female turkeys- we've had them for nearly a year, since they were babies. The are healthy and seem happy- they lay eggs etc. One of my girls has just started to walk strange. She seems to be lethargic and drags her feet. She still eats and drinks, but just doesnt seem to be her usual turkey self.
Their house is right near my Isa Brown/layer chickens so I dont want my other girls getting sick!

Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[flocksalot]

It's hard to say, turkeys are very succeptible to diseases that chickens can carry. Black head seems to be the most noted. My mother used to get a medication from the vet and could save most of them, but they were meat birds and never stayed on after they were 4 to 6 months old. I raise BBW, so being they can't mate naturally we never keep any beyond the 6 to 8 month range. Last fall one of my girls, Elizabeth (and yes I know it's weird to name food, but I still love them), wasn't wanting to walk and seemed depressed. I noticed her feet were quite swollen. This is a common problem in the heavies and being she dressed out at about 27 lbs she was very heavy. She solved her walking problem by just standing in front of the food and eating. Hence the neighbors Thanksgiving was a little more thankful than they had planned.

I would watch for signs of swelling, injury, depression you got, is she all ruffled, any sneezing coughing or nasal discharge. Other thing that can cause problems is gape worm. I would move her to a quite area where you can observe her more closely. I hope she is just fine tomorrow.

 

[Madhouse Mumma]

Thank you- the other girls decided to roost with the chickens tonight- so she is in the pen by herself. I will keep her there to keep an eye on her- and worm the lot of them. I watched her today as she free ranged- she seems to actually have a limp- so I wonder if she has hurt her leg or back- No swelling at all. She will be my breeding stock (once I get a Tom) so I hope she makes it! Thanks for your advice!!

 

[flocksalot]

Aren't Turkeys just the most fun? We have babies right now and it is so cute to see a two day old tom try to strut his stuff and gobble. Which really just comes out as cheep cheep cheep. I love turkeys! Hope your girl is doing better today. Now I'm gonna go play with mine. I loves me turkeys!

 

[ChurkLover]

My BBB Tom is doing the same...was limping, walking much stranger than normal. I didn't notice any swelling either but he has been breathing heavier than normal and definitely not getting out as far to free range as normal. He walks about 4 or 5 steps and then stumbles/flaps wings to get balance before falling and just laying there. I noticed he keeps reaching under his belly and picking at his feathers for some reason. He's been eating and drinking okay but pooping pretty runny. Keep a close eye on your girl. I had one BBB hen who we had to put down at around 7 months old because she started with the same symptoms of limping and finally could not walk at all. I fed her, bathed her (because she laid in her poop) and carried her to the grass to "range" with the other birds every day for nearly a month and she never got better. Good luck. I hope someone can tell us there is a cure for this, but from everything I have read, the limping and hurt leg seems to be common in the larger breed of turkeys.

 

[flocksalot]

Churklovers something is tickling at the bak of my brain. I have to find my poultry bible I mean book and look it up. I have most of my books still packed up as we sold our home in Feb, moved to a tiny apt that we spend no time in, and are building a home at the farm that I spend all my time at. Seems to me there is something familiar about your turkeys symptoms. I'll find the book in the day light and pour through it. Maybe that will give me some answers. I'll let you know what I find tomorrow.