Oh boy... I just brought home a turkey...

[JJchiknshak]

It's a REALLY long story... But the short version is that I am part of a farm co-op. I keep ducks, I also take in ducks that need new homes, and I sell the eggs at a local year-round farmer's market to support them. Last year at some point I had WAY too many drakes. 3 spare drakes were being cared for at a small educational farm in Wheeling. I recently took in a bunch of Pekins. I do not want Pekins.. I just took them home till I could find somewhere they can go.
An older couple is coming to ket my pekin boys. I asked them if they would be interested in a couple Khaki drakes. They are! So I picked up those boys, plus a runner drake that will be staying with me now. There was a female turkey living with them. (There were also chickens that wander from their run, into the turkey/duck run.) There had been 3, but the other 2 have passed away. I felt bad leaving her there. Like a fool, I brought home the turkey. She is SO STINKING HEAVY.
I already know she successfully lived with chickens before. My ducks are a bit terrified of her, but I think they will get used to each other. My dominant hen went up to the turkey, and tried to assert herself. They turkey very calmly let her know she would not be tolerating any of her B.S. and the hen backed off. My bantam roo was displaying for her like crazy. lol
I know she is a meat variety... But she doesn't seem very unhealthy. She is probably around 2. My son is enamored with her already.

What turkey advice can you guys give me? Would she be better off slaughtered?
We are calling her Mrs. Snodgrass.

 

[Lovem all]

I've never kept a turkey but she sounds like she might make a good pet

 

[Little Doe Homestead]

Limit her feed, let her free range as much as possible. Monitor feet for swelling, treat with Epsom salt+hydrogen peroxide footbaths daily at first sign of a problem. If you have plenty of land, you can probabnly avoid feed altogether, maybe supplement some a few times a week. Check her at night to see how she sleeps. If she sleeps up on her hocks, it's time to start treating her feet. Use CBD and/or arnica Montana on her hocks if need be. Use small doses of metacam ifshe ever starts limping, in tandem with the other things I've mentioned. Try to get her foot baths deep enough to cover the hocks. Epsom salt really, really helps BB turks. If that all seems like too much and if she really is 2 years old, she wouldn't make the greatest roaster, but would probablygive you 20-25lbs of burger or sausage. BBs are so easy to become attached to, they're way more personable than heritage breeds. We have 4 that we keep as pets.

 

[BrandySC]

Limit her feed, let her free range as much as possible. Monitor feet for swelling, treat with Epsom salt+hydrogen peroxide footbaths daily at first sign of a problem. If you have plenty of land, you can probabnly avoid feed altogether, maybe supplement some a few times a week. Check her at night to see how she sleeps. If she sleeps up on her hocks, it's time to start treating her feet. Use CBD and/or arnica Montana on her hocks if need be. Use small doses of metacam ifshe ever starts limping, in tandem with the other things I've mentioned. Try to get her foot baths deep enough to cover the hocks. Epsom salt really, really helps BB turks. If that all seems like too much and if she really is 2 years old, she wouldn't make the greatest roaster, but would probablygive you 20-25lbs of burger or sausage. BBs are so easy to become attached to, they're way more personable than heritage breeds. We have 4 that we keep as pets.

Can you clarify for me: sleeps up on her hocks. What are the hocks? I have a BBW tom. He does not roost, he sleeps in a bed of straw, just folds his legs down and sleeps on his feet. I don't know what hocks are so I don't know if I need to watch for something. Thanks!

 

[Little Doe Homestead]

Can you clarify for me: sleeps up on her hocks. What are the hocks? I have a BBW tom. He does not roost, he sleeps in a bed of straw, just folds his legs down and sleeps on his feet. I don't know what hocks are so I don't know if I need to watch for something. Thanks!

The hocks are the joints below the drumstick. Where the feathers end and the scales begin. BB turkeys will sleep in an awkward reclined position on their hocks to take pressure off of their feet after they reach a certain weight. Keeping a thick layer of bedding helps too, but Epsom salt is really going to slow down wear and tear on the joint and the feet.

 

[BrandySC]

The hocks are the joints below the drumstick. Where the feathers end and the scales begin. BB turkeys will sleep in an awkward reclined position on their hocks to take pressure off of their feet after they reach a certain weight. Keeping a thick layer of bedding helps too, but Epsom salt is really going to slow down wear and tear on the joint and the feet.

I've seen several posts mentioning soaking their legs. What is the simplest way to do this? I believe he might stand still and let me wrap his legs in wet cloths, but to get him to stand in a tub for a while--I don't know that he would be very cooperative.

 

[Little Doe Homestead]

I've seen several posts mentioning soaking their legs. What is the simplest way to do this? I believe he might stand still and let me wrap his legs in wet cloths, but to get him to stand in a tub for a while--I don't know that he would be very cooperative.

We put them one at a time into a deep "little giant" black rubber waterer with a bunch of Epsom salt and hydrogen peroxide. We kinda sit in a chair over them and just gently, calmly hold them in place. Since turkeys are pretty personable, they usually don't mind. We do this as often as possible for about a half an hour at a time. We've also theorized that a kiddy pool with a fence around it it could be pretty effective.

 

[BrandySC]

We put them one at a time into a deep "little giant" black rubber waterer with a bunch of Epsom salt and hydrogen peroxide. We kinda sit in a chair over them and just gently, calmly hold them in place. Since turkeys are pretty personable, they usually don't mind. We do this as often as possible for about a half an hour at a time. We've also theorized that a kiddy pool with a fence around it it could be pretty effective.

He loves his kiddie pool, we could do a temporary fence easily. Thank you so much for your advice!