Need help with my 7 week turkey hen

[cjperkins]

I rescued her because she was being picked and stomped on from the other turkeys in her cage. The day I brought her home she could stand and walk a few feet then she rested in the yard beside us. She is so sweet. She did seem to limp but i knew she would get stronger. The next day we built a cage for her with a roost . My husband put her up on that roost and watched her for a few minutes. She fell off the roost and hit the bottom of the cage and has not walked since. That was Sunday night that she fell. Her right leg looks like splay leg and does not seem to hurt her. But she will not stand up. Can I tape it up to help her? Does anyone have any ideas or pictures to help me help her??? She is a pet and we want to help her

 

[JJSS89]

I'm no turkey expert but I'd say give it a small space to live in with soft bedding and obviously clean food and water within neck's reach. Turkeys are heavy birds and you are right to provide immediate assistance.

If that leg looks like it is splayed. Maybe putting a hobble on her would help her stand eventually but for now I'd put her in a very small space like a dog kennel. That is - IF she is calm and won't freak out in an enclosure.

 

[PalmRoyal]

This is a weird situation. I would make a hobble as suggested above and see if you can help her that way. I would definably remove the perch. When I got into turkeys, every person I talked to said absolutely no perches for turkeys because it will lead to bad and broken legs from when they jump down. However, mine perch and have had no ill effects. Mine are Royal Palms and fly very well.
If she does not get better, you have a hard decision to make. If she is a pet, sometimes it is best to get an outside opinion from someone who does not have an emotional attachment. If she seems to be happy and in absolutely no pain, then allow her to live out her life as a nice little pet. However, if she seems kind of depressed and in some pain, I would look into maybe putting her down. A life where you can not move around and have to lay in your own feces is not a life at all. But if her mobility comes back, becoming a pet is the right choice.
I wish you and her the best of luck. Hopefully she will recover and hopefully it is a speedy recovery. I'm glad there is people like you who have the heart to rescue a bird. Then, take it one step further and ensure that the bird has the best possible care.

 

[JJSS89]

When I got into turkeys, every person I talked to said absolutely no perches for turkeys because it will lead to bad and broken legs from when they jump down. However, mine perch and have had no ill effects. Mine are Royal Palms and fly very well.

I can't imagine heritage breeds being hurt by roosting??

Good thing we humans came along after thousands of years to domesticate and save those poor turkeys from themselves.

 

[PalmRoyal]

I can't imagine heritage breeds being hurt by roosting??

Good thing we humans came along after thousands of years to domesticate and save those poor turkeys from themselves.

I do know that several Narragansetts that one of my friends raises have hurt themselves from roosting in their barn. But, mine have yet to hurt themselves. I'm not sure if it is the size difference or what since mine are so light compared to the larger breeds. I guess I will compare it to like how you are not supposed to let weiner dogs jump up on things because it is bad for their backs.
Talking about breeds, what breed is the turkey you rescued, CJPerkins? A Broad Breaded White is more prone to have leg issues than a heritage breed. This may be something to look into as well.

 

[cjperkins]

She is a Bronze. I have been taping her legs all week and have kept her on a soft bed with limited space..... im so sad, her leg has not improved at all guess didn't do such a good job at saving her.

 

[PalmRoyal]

She is a Bronze. I have been taping her legs all week and have kept her on a soft bed with limited space..... im so sad, her leg has not improved at all

guess didn't do such a good job at saving her.

It is nothing that you did wrong. All you did was try to help her and be nice and that is the best and most you can do. From what I am told, leg problems in turkeys are common, especially in big breeds. Bronze, according from the American Poultry Association, is the heaviest breed of turkey they recognise. So, Maybe this is something that is a common occurrence in that breed and her having leg problems when you got her just led up to this. Feel her good leg (and I mean really feel it). Compare it to the other leg. Does anything feel out of line? Or does anything pop or grind when you move them? Compare everything. Maybe you are not looking at the problem quite as in depth as you should. There is a lot of maybes and what-ifs in this situation I think that might be hard to help without knowing absolutely everything and seeing her try to move and everything.