Turkey Hen question

[Chicklet!]

THis is my first time having turkeys. While the Toms are doing just fine my Hen is almost lethargic. She wont stand up to for herself when the chickens pick on her and she has stopped approaching the feed bin or the water container while in the company of any of the other birds. I have 9 chickens that the turkeys were raised along side of. Any advice for this new turkey mother would be much appreciated

 

[R2elk]

THis is my first time having turkeys. While the Toms are doing just fine my Hen is almost lethargic. She wont stand up to for herself when the chickens pick on her and she has stopped approaching the feed bin or the water container while in the company of any of the other birds. I have 9 chickens that the turkeys were raised along side of. Any advice for this new turkey mother would be much appreciated

Separate her from the toms and get rid of all but one tom. I suspect that if you do a close inspection you will find an injury on her side under her wing and in front of her leg. It would be a breeding injury caused by a tom being interfered with while trying to breed her. You should never keep a single hen in with multiple toms.

 

[Chicklet!]

Separate her from the toms and get rid of all but one tom. I suspect that if you do a close inspection you will find an injury on her side under her wing and in front of her leg. It would be a breeding injury caused by a tom being interfered with while trying to breed her. You should never keep a single hen in with multiple toms.

Thank you so much for the response! I am VERY new to turkeys. Can I keep her in with the Tom she has come attached to? Or separate them completely? They are 16 weeks....Do they start to breed that young?

 

[R2elk]

Thank you so much for the response! I am VERY new to turkeys. Can I keep her in with the Tom she has come attached to? Or separate them completely? They are 16 weeks....Do they start to breed that young?

I would separate her from all of them at least until you figure out what is wrong with her. If it turns out that she has a disease you will be glad that she is not spreading it to the rest of them.

At 4 months old it is possible for the hormones to start flowing.

 

[Jeffrey Foster]

Sounds like a sick bird. Separate her, and if she continues down hill consider some tetracycline in her water (should be able to get it over the counter from Tractor Supply). If she has a breeding wound, coat the wound with Blu-kote and it should heal just fine. I had a chicken with a one inch inclusion right on her hip joint, which looked to be down to the muscle. Once treated it completely closed on its own in just 2 weeks. Was glad I did not put her down.