My Turkey is sick

[Concon68]

My Turkey is about 6 months old and today I found her in the coup by herself laying in the corner.. She seems very sad. I looked all over and she had no cuts or anything. Yesterday she was out and happy (she did jump into my strawberries and ate them) but I think that was the only thing she ate that she shouldn't have. I have always raised chickens, ducks and geese but this is my first pair of turkeys. The other turkey is good. I put her in a spot by herself with some fresh water and hay so no one would pick on her. What do you think I should do? I did put some bacteria cleaning medicine in the water tonight for all of them just in case it was something buggy she might have caught... what else? Thanks so much!!

 

[ray2310]

I wish I could help - i am raising turkeys for the first time and have a sick turkey too...
hopefully we will get advice here

 

[sweettall1]

I am having the same problem with my hen turkey.She just lays down we did however try to get her up but it is like she can't stand up. She is over a year old and my tom and hen chicken just got killed so we were thinking she was just depressed..But the whole thing of her not being able to stand has been confused.It is like she has no balance. She will eat and drink. I wondered if she was just depressed since losing the other two. I did have somebody tell me she is split from being so old and being a meat turkey and all but I have no idea what that even means???Well hoping that we both find the answers to help our turkeys out

 

[ivan3]

Concon68 wrote: My Turkey is about 6 months old and today I found her in the coup by herself laying in the corner.. She seems very sad. I looked all over and she had no cuts or anything. Yesterday she was out and happy (she did jump into my strawberries and ate them) but I think that was the only thing she ate that she shouldn't have. I have always raised chickens, ducks and geese but this is my first pair of turkeys. The other turkey is good. I put her in a spot by herself with some fresh water and hay so no one would pick on her. What do you think I should do? I did put some bacteria cleaning medicine in the water tonight for all of them just in case it was something buggy she might have caught... what else? Thanks so much!!

First, did she appear to be digging down into bedding in corner where she is hunkered down? Secondly, if you could provide some more info. it would be helpful to members (just a guideline): https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3569

sweettall1 wrote: I am having the same problem with my hen turkey.She just lays down we did however try to get her up but it is like she can't stand up. She is over a year old and my tom and hen chicken just got killed so we were thinking she was just depressed..But the whole thing of her not being able to stand has been confused.It is like she has no balance. She will eat and drink. I wondered if she was just depressed since losing the other two. I did have somebody tell me she is split from being so old and being a meat turkey and all but I have no idea what that even means???Well hoping that we both find the answers to help our turkeys out

Sorry about your losses.
How much over a year old? (some members have kept BB hens for several years). What/when/how were the others killed? Was this hen somehow involved during the attack, e.g., trying to get away/flying and landing badly, etc.?​

 

[sweettall1]

The tom turkey just up and died no feathers missing and no blood other than a little on the ground by his beak.. He had been eating and drinking and was fine. We do have 2 goats in with him and don't know if they could of trampled him??? The chicken hen died from our dog getting in the pen.. And no the turkey hen was not affected by this she was fine for about a couple weeks after the kill and then started acting sort of depressed.Staying off to herself and staying in the back barnyard. And then it got to the point she would not even come in the barn at night. Somebody said that maybe she had split?? I have no idea what that even means do you??

 

[ivan3]

sweettall1 wrote: The tom turkey just up and died no feathers missing and no blood other than a little on the ground by his beak.. He had been eating and drinking and was fine. We do have 2 goats in with him and don't know if they could of trampled him??? The chicken hen died from our dog getting in the pen.. And no the turkey hen was not affected by this she was fine for about a couple weeks after the kill and then started acting sort of depressed.Staying off to herself and staying in the back barnyard. And then it got to the point she would not even come in the barn at night. Somebody said that maybe she had split?? I have no idea what that even means do you??

The tom was Broad Breasted as well (same age as hen)? Do you control her diet/are droppings normal/how much does she weigh/how hot is it at your location?

"Split"? No idea.

Try rolling her over on her back (while she's hunkered down). If she can't roll back over then she might have `green muscle' disease, i.e., Hereditary Pectoral Myopathy: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1696368/pdf/canvetj00412-0025.pdf
Just a thought as this occurs in BB's more often. Can she walk/run normally if startled?
Blood from the beak of the tom - could be a sign of heart attack/goat attack/etc.​

 

[sweettall1]

she eats scratch grains..weighs 30lbs...droppings are cloudy brown and very loose and it has been very hot but she has been this way since Friday . We put her on her feet and she tries to stand and can't its like her legs don't support or something..

 

[ivan3]

So, scratch grains/free range? alone?

I'd try Polyvisol Enfamil vitamins (no iron) four drops a day for a week and taper off. Try regular Purina Flock Maintenance feed. She's obviously been putting on the wt. but may not having been getting necessary nutrients. Could also be Commercial strain that isn't really built to take the wt. as they are harvested before they live long enough to express the musculoskeletal deficiencies.

For a definitive dx you'd need to find a avian vet.

Best of luck!

 

[fred rick]

I have a similar problem with my Royal Palm. I was told by a vet (who unfortunately gave me less hope of her survival) to give her some bico and antibiotics

 

[Kelli Robertson]

I would like to know why my turkey acts drunk? I love him/her so much I would hate to know I could do something about it. turkey is 3-4 mos old