Turkey can't stand up PLEASE HELP!

[georgieboy11]

Thank you all for your help, it has now been about three days without him walking but I think he is improving. I have been giving him about a cup of feed a day and carrying him out into the grass and letting him graze and preen himself in the sun, I'd say he's lost at least one or two pounds already. I was worried today because I held him off the ground but low enough so he could touch the ground and he didn't try to stand, so I laid him down on his side and stretched his legs for a while and his muscles were stiff and then I picked him up again and I think I scared him because he started kicking his legs a bunch trying to get down and I was so happy he was moving his legs I didn't even care he was scratching the crap out of me! After that and the stretching, he would stand as long as I would hold him up. He is still very perky he keeps his head up high and he just gobbles and chirps at me all the time. I am very hopeful with this diet and some physical therapy he will get back to walking soon I will look into finding those vitamins for him, and if he does get back to walking I will be sure to keep him exercising and on a diet.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You could try making a sling, you may have to get inventive with his size. Suspending him off the ground so his feet just touch is best to keep good circulation going to his legs. The longer an animal stays down the harder it becomes to get up so keep working at it.

 

[pearl1]

Thank you for your advice. I don't think it is fair to the birds either and I frankly wish broad breasted turkeys were never created but there is not much I can do about it. I never would have got him if I knew all the health complications and suffering he would go through as a pet but at the same time, I know by now he probably would have been slaughtered and definitely would not have had such a good life so I can't say I regret getting him. When I got him I didn't know what broad breasted turkeys were and I didn't find out until he had already become like my baby. I can't imagine ever eating him or butchering him I just could never do that, to me it's like imagining eating my dog. If I have to I will take him to be euthanized and bury him.

 

[pearl1]

Mine too

 

[R2elk]

Mine too

This thread is from 2018. The OP has not been on BYC since Dec. of 2023.