Limping and other questions

[mrclif]

One of my narragasnt toms developed a limp a couple of weeks ago. He's 2 1/2-3 months old been on 26 percent protein crumbles till bout a week ago and I dropped them down to 20%. He doesnt really like being held but I've picked him up and inspected his feet and can see nothing abnormal. Is this something he might grow out of or something I need to investagte further. I got him and 5 others at the same time when they were bout a week old so its not something he's had since hatching.
I've got 7 turkeys together in that pen which measures 24'x16' with a 8'x8' coop attached 5 of the 7 seems to be toms and they do fight some but that limping narry tom I have doesnt seem to participate in the pecking order rituals.
I was thinking of adding on to the run and adding another coop at the other end and keeping it seperated. I've got 3 eastern poults and a small chick I adopted that are about 2 weeks old that are still under the light and havent been outside yet. I was planing on putting the 3 new poults and chick in the new pin and coop. Do you think I should seperate the runs with more than just wire or relocate to another area close by. It would save money on wire by butting up to it. I thought maybe once they got to know each other i could mix them together a little and maybe seperate the hens and toms before next breeding season. But I didnt know how mulitple toms would act in a pen next to a pen with hens in it.
I generally let them out everyday to range under my supervision because of predators around and they seem to have no fear of anything except from stuff flying above. But I'm really concerned about how next spring going to go with my tom to hen ratio.
Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[kuntrygirl]

How is he doing today?

 

[mrclif]

He's doing good other than the limp which seems to be a little worse when he first stands up. But this morning he was strutting with others.
Thanks for asking

 

[kuntrygirl]

What does the hock on that foot look like?

 

[mrclif]

No visual diffrence that I've found compared to his other one or my other birds.

 

[sidsmama]

We have the same problem with our bronze turkey tom. He is 5 months old and developed a limp over a week ago and has progressively gotten worse. One of the local "bird" people around here told me that they get burrs on their feet, but we haven't noticed any visual differences on his feet. We only have a pair and we were wanting to mate them, hoping our boy gets better. I hope your tom gets better!

 

[mrclif]

Thanks,I hope they get better. These birds are my pets . I hate that he always gets left behind but I always make gets his share of treats.

 

[Celie]

You say you were feeding 26% protein and dropped it down to 20%? Sounds low to me, and what breed of poultry is it made for? Turkeys and Wild game poultry need more protein and calcium than chickens. With calcium also vitamin D3. You might try upping the protein and feed a little extra calcium for bone density. Look under his feet to see it he has a bumble foot problem. If he was the Omega in the pecking order, while squabbling, the others might have tripped him or fallen on him and injured his leg. Is it getting better or worse? I have a large turkey flock of about 50, and like turkeys do, they run to meat me and being the curious creatures they are, get under foot a lot. One day last year, when it was very sloppy outside, I tripped and fell against a 3 month old poult and hurt his leg. He limped around and his leg healed, but his legs look slanted to one side slightly and he waddles when he runs. He is about 15 months now and the same size as the other toms his age, but never able to mount a hen properly. He is one of the 10 toms scheduled to be processed this fall. He doesn't seem to be in any pain, and has never missed a meal, but I gave him his own pen until his legs healed, or the older, stronger tomes would have killed him! Week animals are killed by the stronger, as natures way of protecting the flock. Predators are attracted to hurt animals, which endangers the flock.

 

[mrclif]

It is medicated turkey/wild game bird crumbles 26% is the highest I've been able to obtain it is considered starter. At 3 months old I went to a turkey grower 20% protien also mediacted. I also swap between apple cider vienagar, pro biotics, vitamin supplments and elecotrlytes mixed in there water. From the information I've seen I'm well between protien levels required.