Strange behavior of turkey chicks

[Alargacci]

I just incubated turkey eggs and three of the five hatched seemed weaker than the others - two with curled feet. (The stronger two I separated out and placed in a different brooder). I cut a small piece of styrofoam plate and attached it to the bottom of their feet and now they are standing and getting around just fine. The strange part is that two of those three sleep on their back. It scared me silly at first - thinking they had died!. I touch them or flip them over and they are fine - walking, eating and drinking as normal. Has anyone else ever saw a turkey lay/sleep on their back?

 

[Wayne&Kim1963]

no is just because they were weak. I would turn them over right and they will quit it in time.

 

[Cold Canadian]

I have lost a lot of chicks so far this year because they fall down and land on there backs and they can't upright them selves ! They just lay there after a while and stop cirping and if I find them in time I upright them and put them back under the heat bulb,if I don't find them and they are away from the bulb and heat sourse I find them weak and in most cases even though I put them back into the incubator to heat them back up ....they die ! I've lost over half of the chicks so far this year because of this ??? what ever it is ,.... off balance disorder ......and I can't figure it out !

 

[ivan3]

Flip Over Syndrome:

Some background (genetic component/late hatching poults): http://ps.fass.org/content/78/2/178.full.pdf

How to: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...r-syndrome-f-o-s-my-experience-and-what-i-did

Also, too great a variation in temp during incubation or too low a temp during first week of brooding can result in curled toes/spraddle leg - inability to stand - developing at week three.