Leg Issues / Brooder Floor Surface

[TurkeyOutlaw]

Hi All,

I got six poults a couple of weeks ago. Someone told me to cover the brooder surface with feed instead of pine shavings, because the poults would eat them and die.

At two weeks old, three of them are having leg problems. The worst one has one leg forward, one leg backward, and the feet feel really stiff and paralyzed. The poult is looking exactly like the picture of the Mareks affected chicken in the chicken health handbook. Another poult is doing the splits, and the third has a foot just starting to point outward, and is a little unsteady.

I have doubts about spraddle-leg, because I've treated chicken chicks for that before. I was afraid to do any bandaid braces or rubber banding on their legs, because their legs are so long and delicate.

Today in desperation, I removed the feed surface and let them loose on the pine shavings.

Some background: they are eating 27% protein, non-medicated feed, and I put an electrolyte/vitamin solution in their water starting yesterday.

I understand turkeys are delicate, and sometimes folks lose up to 50% of their poults.....(that's why I got six) I just want to do the best thing for them.

Thanks for your help.

 

[TammyP]

Hi.

I'm not sure about this but I'd think that it would be like putting a toddler on a floor covered in marbles.... the food would not be a stable surface for their tender little legs and I'd think kinda painful.

I use the large pine shavings and they do fine....they will pick at them and get the occasional small one ingested but I have not lost a poult yet because of it. Also, I'd think it would be a waste of feed since they poop on it and you don't want them eating the poopy feed.

I'd make a clean start with some larger shavings and see if they get better.... it seems as what you stated that you've covered your bases thus far.

Keep us updated.... pictures are nice too...we LOVE to see pictures. haha.

~Tammy

 

[TurkeyOutlaw]

Pictures, of course! This is from about a week ago. The two black spanish turkeys.

They are on pine shavings now.

 

[TammyP]

Adorable! Lovvvvvvve pictures. Thank you for sharing your babies.

 

[TurkeyOutlaw]

Thanks, TammyP! They seem to have more secure footing on the pine shavings. I put some caged bird grit in for them just in case they are eating some of the shavings.

Unfortunately, we had to put Earl down on Sunday. He lost much of his mobility last week. I had been hand feeding and watering him every two hours. He would get exhausted from flapping (trying to move), and do the open-mouth breathing thing which is a sign of stress. Not much of a turkey life.....

I include a picture of Earl. He had a short life, but he was a sweet little Turkey. Earl taught DBF and I about life on the farm. Thanks Earl!

We are keeping an eye on one of the Black Spanish and a Narragansett. Both their feet are pointing outward, and they are hobbling with that extra-wide stance. I'm hoping the vitamin/electrolyte water will help them get the nutrition they need, and strengthen those little legs.

 

[TurkeyOutlaw]

We had to put down the two poults who were having leg issues. Here are my lessons learned so others new to raising turkeys can avoid the mistake:

I covered the pine shavings with dish towels, because someone told me the poults would eat the pine shavings and die. I put some feed on top of the towels. At two weeks old, I thought the poults were starting to slip on the towels, so I added more feed on top of the towels (big mistake). Just like TammyP said, this was "like putting a toddler on a floor covered in marbles." By the time I realized what was going on, it was too late to put spraddle leg braces on them. I'm humbled and heartbroken.

Next time, I'll start with a smaller brooder with a paper towel surface. I'll switch to pine shavings the first week, and provide grit in case they ingest some shavings.