My turkey is limping can someone with experience please help!!!

[FarmTillURdead]

You could use the blow torch. I haven't done it that way. Scalpels are sterile when you buy them in most cases. I wouldn't use Neosporin until the second dressing. The wound needs to dry under the bandage to scab up and close. Neosporin keeps things soft and moist allowing a deep cut to open up again. Good for abraisions and skin but I wouldn't use it for a few days until it's scabby just to prevent a secondary infection.

 

[chicgal]

Hi all, I am new to BYC - found the site because I was searching for a solution for my turkey problem. Hope someone here can help my little poult.

One of my turkey poults (3 weeks old) is suddenly limping. One leg seems fine, the other one - the fingers (that's what they're called right?) are curled sideways. It is using the other leg to hop and can still stand on the curled up leg, while the normal leg shakes and shivers like crazy when it tries to walk/stand. I can't see any swelling or cuts or bruises. It eats and drinks fine.

I'll try to post pictures later, it's too dark now.

Can someone help me and my poult?

Thanks a lot in advance.

 

[FarmTillURdead]

If the toes are curled in kind of claw like it could be a birth deformation. I think it is caused from incorrect incubation temps. (Or maybe I just want to sound like I know what I am talking about). If there is no sign of injury this would be my guess. The other leg shakes because the muscles are tired and worn out from keeping the weight off the crippled foot. I have had a few chickens I purchased that have had variations of this problem. The toes on one continued to grow crooked and eventually the chicken stood on this "knuckels." After a few months it couldn't walk at all. I had to seperate him and help him get to the feed and water a few times a day.
I eventually had to put it down when abcesses started to form from lack of circulation. I don't believe in making animals suffer. Your case may not be as critical as this one. I pray it's not! I still have a chicken or two with curved in toes that get around alright. The other leg may get strong enough to compensate. I also have a Naragansett Tom I named Skippy. He has some sort of leg problem that makes him skip when he runs... He's doing fine too.
I'm no expert... but my advise would just be to watch and make sure it isn't suffering. I don't know of any diseases that would cause that.

 

[chicgal]

Thank you for the reply.

My turkey hen (Pinky) hatched the eggs, although they were incubated for about 12 days when she decided to go broody and I set the eggs under her and hatched all of them. She was a good mother, although had to remove her when she accidentally squished a poor poult to death. That's her in my avatar with her poults. This is my first hatch with turkeys.

This particular poult seemed fine till about a couple of days ago when I found it trying to balance with its wings stretched out on the ground. Right now, I am helping it get to food and water. This one is the smallest of the bunch. It still puts up a fight, kicks and screams when I pick it up. Is there some sort of crutch or medication or something that I can give it to help?

I really hope and pray it doesn't get any worse, just the thought of having to put one down, and the thought of having to see it suffer brings tears.

 

[FarmTillURdead]

Perhaps you could tape toothpicks on with that spongy vet tape. It's a crazy idea but it might give a little support until the bones grow and catch up (if they can). Be sure to tape tight enough to hold the sticks on but lose enough for circulation.
wraping the leg in gauze then applying sticks then spongy tape will help mose with circulation like a cast.... but be patient... you won't get it on the first few trys and you will need to replace it every few days to adjust for growth.
I'd give it a whack! It's better than giving up!

 

[FarmTillURdead]

excuse all of the typos.... it's cocktail hour here.

 

[chicgal]

Thank you for the toothpick suggestion - will try it out tomorrow - got to find someone to help me with that. I hope it can help the little one. The other poults just walk/run over this one and I tried to separate it, but it (he/she) started screaming its lungs out and then I had to put it back with the other ones. Will keep you posted.

 

[chicgal]

This is how it looks like when it's standing. As you can see, one foot has curled fingers (although has improved some comparatively- the curling I mean). The other one, it's either up in the air or placed halfway on the ground. It's either standing like this or sitting on its knuckles or tries to walk/run away (hops and falls).

How do I place the toothpick crutch on the foot?

 

[FarmTillURdead]

I think there is a lot of hope for this little guy. The few times I have seen this were WAY worse.
The legs appear to be fine. This looks like a "toe" thing to me.
They have to bend their feet to walk so I think if you cut the tooth picks short and splinted them like a finger it should help keep them from curling when it takes a step. Tooth picks should cut easily with scissors. I'd try to tape to the top of the toe or the sides.
You might have to seperate it from the rest as building new muscles and walking will be hard on it. Ever worked out until you were REALLY sore? Expect the second and third day to look worse getting around.... as these will be the new muscles adjusting. Don't give up or it won't have a chance when it gets older.
If it starts picking at the tape and it's toes it helps to spray the legs down with iodine so they are dyed all the same color.
You don't have to tape real tight... just enough to keep the tooth pick on.
If there is still terrible problems after 4 days you might try lengthinging the middle tooth pick and the two outer toes tooth pick to help with balance. Just be confident in your skills and watch the chick... if it keeps falling over one way or another adjust the tooth picks to help it stand. Your building your own turkey orthotics!

 

[Frosty]

To me the curl doesn't look like it should cause any problems. Check the pad of the foot over closely (look for splinters, etc...) and check the joints to make sure nothing was displaced.