Turkey fell off slaughter truck- Rescued but needs help!

[Windus]

Should I keep it on even at night?

It's just so hot and humid I don't want him over heating!

I'm picking up some feed for him from my girlfriend's place today to feed him.

Also what about his scrapes/bruises? How should I be cleaning his wounds to make sure he doesn't get any sort of infections?
!

Yes, it should stay on all the time but you need to give him room where he can be under the light or move away from it.

As for feed, turkeys need different feed than chickens, you need to get a game bird feed for him.

You can buy a spray at any feed store that it made for the wounds, you just spray it on.

Good luck!

 

[andreanar]

So, I did a quick search (because I love learning about fowl). This looks possibly to be a broad breasted white turkey, prob under 26 weeks old? The net wasn't very encouraging about keeping them healthy. Like meat chickens, it seems their legs and hearts cant keep up with their size. I hope someone comes along to give more specifics.

 

[casportpony]

Also what about his scrapes/bruises? How should I be cleaning his wounds to make sure he doesn't get any sort of infections?

Can you post pictures of his wounds?

I'm concerned because of the way he looks, as in his feathers look horrible, he's pale, and looks depressed, and you say he isn't walking.

How much does he weigh?

His water consumption to simply remain hydrated should be ~23 ml per pound per day.

 

[GrandpaUtz]

Can you post pictures of his wounds?

I'm concerned because of the way he looks, as in his feathers look horrible, he's pale, and looks depressed, and you say he isn't walking.

How much does he weigh?

His water consumption to simply remain hydrated should be ~23 ml per pound per day.

He's a big boy, has to be like 40-45 lbs. He does look terrible, but we're hoping to turn that around. His head was pure white when we first got him, but at least some color seemed to be coming back to it by the end of the day.

The vet that I swung by on the way home took a brief look at him and said basically that he looks in pretty rough shape, said we could try but the prognosis "isn't the best" - she said she wouldn't feel right about having us spend money on xrays and such for a farm turkey that was on its way to the slaughterhouse anyway that probably wasn't going to make it. She said if he doesn't have any internal bleeding/trauma there's a better chance of survival. That being said, she was a dog/cat vet.

I am at work now but can post a picture of his scrapes/bruises when I get home.

 

[DwayneNLiz]

he looks very pale, and rather purple

just be prepared for a worst case scenario
(i am just trying to be real)

he was bred and raised for an early slaughter, his heart and kidneys are probably not well-off

IF you can keep him alive and able to lose some weight you might be able to keep him alive but he also need to be able to walk around. He needs exercise

if he cant stand make him a sling

he needs to build up his leg strength

DO NOT OFFER FOOD FREE-CHOICE!!!
only feed 2x per day, and only about 1/2 cup per feeding
and when he is older and can walk feed once per day, at night, he needs to work for his food

Unfortunately he has been raised like this already and it may be too late to fix
but i commend your efforts

Good luck

 

[WVduckchick]

he looks very pale, and rather purple

just be prepared for a worst case scenario
(i am just trying to be real)

he was bred and raised for an early slaughter, his heart and kidneys are probably not well-off

IF you can keep him alive and able to lose some weight you might be able to keep him alive but he also need to be able to walk around. He needs exercise

if he cant stand make him a sling

he needs to build up his leg strength

DO NOT OFFER FOOD FREE-CHOICE!!!
only feed 2x per day, and only about 1/2 cup per feeding
and when he is older and can walk feed once per day, at night, he needs to work for his food

Unfortunately he has been raised like this already and it may be too late to fix
but i commend your efforts

Good luck

 

[casportpony]

He's a big boy, has to be like 40-45 lbs. He does look terrible, but we're hoping to turn that around. His head was pure white when we first got him, but at least some color seemed to be coming back to it by the end of the day.

The vet that I swung by on the way home took a brief look at him and said basically that he looks in pretty rough shape, said we could try but the prognosis "isn't the best" - she said she wouldn't feel right about having us spend money on xrays and such for a farm turkey that was on its way to the slaughterhouse anyway that probably wasn't going to make it. She said if he doesn't have any internal bleeding/trauma there's a better chance of survival. That being said, she was a dog/cat vet.

I am at work now but can post a picture of his scrapes/bruises when I get home.

Any chance you could call the vet and ask about getting some pain relief for him (Meloxicam)? Also ask about giving subcutaneous fluids and tube feeding.

 

[casportpony]

Also talk to the vet about this:
"When animals don't eat enough, they must rely on their fat reserves for energy. ... With rapid weight loss in a cat that stops eating, protein supplies are soon exhausted and the liver becomes overwhelmed by all the fat. This results in a dangerous condition known as hepatic lipidosis, which can lead to liver failure."
Source:https://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/my-cat-wont-eat#1

 

[GrandpaUtz]

he looks very pale, and rather purple

just be prepared for a worst case scenario
(i am just trying to be real)

he was bred and raised for an early slaughter, his heart and kidneys are probably not well-off

IF you can keep him alive and able to lose some weight you might be able to keep him alive but he also need to be able to walk around. He needs exercise

if he cant stand make him a sling

he needs to build up his leg strength

DO NOT OFFER FOOD FREE-CHOICE!!!
only feed 2x per day, and only about 1/2 cup per feeding
and when he is older and can walk feed once per day, at night, he needs to work for his food

Unfortunately he has been raised like this already and it may be too late to fix
but i commend your efforts

Good luck

I am prepared for the worst, honestly I did not really think he would make it through the night but now that he did I am really starting to get hopeful. Still trying to stay realistic with my expectations but I want to make sure I do everything I can.

The sling idea is neat! Will he be able to walk around on that thing? Or keep it high enough so that he doesn't have to walk around? I'm thinking low enough so his feet hit the ground, right?

 

[GrandpaUtz]

Any chance you could call the vet and ask about getting some pain relief for him (Meloxicam)? Also ask about giving subcutaneous fluids and tube feeding.

Also talk to the vet about this:
"When animals don't eat enough, they must rely on their fat reserves for energy. ... With rapid weight loss in a cat that stops eating, protein supplies are soon exhausted and the liver becomes overwhelmed by all the fat. This results in a dangerous condition known as hepatic lipidosis, which can lead to liver failure."
Source:https://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/my-cat-wont-eat#1

I will ask her about these things for sure!