Turkey Emergency

[JHillgrove]

Please do not reply if all you are going to do is rant about animal cruelty. I do not want these turkeys to suffer anymore then you do.

I am raising 3 turkeys for the first time, for thanksgiving dinner. I have 1 bronze and 2 white. The bronze one had problems with her legs within months. She wasn't even fully grown and already she was limping. I put her in a smaller fenced in area so to get to food and water wasn't hard.
Today I went out and one of the white ones is limping too. I went to check on the bronze and her legs are completely useless. They are curled up under her and she has to spread her wings to keep herself from falling over completely. I propped her up so she could eat and drink but I cannot stay out there all night and day. But I cannot kill them, I do not have the equipment or the stomach, I was going to hire a poultry company to do it, but I called and their answering system says it could take up to a week to get a call back because it is there "busy season".

Please let me know how to help them so they can be more comfortable until someone can come out and kill them. If they die, all the months of work and food I have put into them will go to waste, I don't want them to suffer, but I don't want to waste this meat either. I am worried they will die from shock or something.

Anyone living in Snohomish area, I will give you a free turkey if you want to come and kill them and prepare them for the freezer.

Thanks

 

[chickenzoo]

The weight of course is causing the problem...hummmm. Perhaps make a soft bed of hay for them in a cool stress free area. Make it as soft and thick as possible to take pressure off their legs. Keep water in shallow dish to keep them from hurting themselves in it. That's all I can think of until you get someone to process them. I never could put one down until a few got sick and I couldn't find anyone...now it's still hard but I can to end suffering. I hope you can find someone soon to help you. During the day when you are home, perhaps letting them float in a kiddie pool if it's hot out to take pressure off their legs may help some.....