What is wrong with my turkey?

[FarmersHatchery]

I have a young royal palm tom that I hatched out around June of 2012. About a week or so ago, I noticed something was wrong with him. He is walking kind of stiff, and his neck is bent back (like they do when they strut). He can't strech it forward to eat or drink, so he has to lay down to reach the food and water. I've been placing the food and water up higher for him so he can reach it without struggle. None of his feathers are ruffled or puffed up. Also, none of my other turkeys or chickens are acting this way, so I don't think it's contagious.

At first I just thought he was doing it maybe because he was cold, as there was snow on the ground, however, now it is in the 40s and he is still doing it. None of the other turkeys I have are doing it either. He isn't strutting, as I know what that looks like, and he is not even the dominant tom as my two older toms are. I've locked up my toms thinking they might of been beating him up, but it hasn't help any. Now he is starting to loss weight fast, and I'm afraid he is going to die.

Does anyone know what this might be, or how I might be able to help him. If he doesn't get better soon, I'm probably just going to have to kill him as he is starting to have issues walking even, and I know that he must be miserable. I hate seeing him suffer when I know he isn't gonna get any better.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Sounds like he has wry neck (crooked neck). Do you have any pics of him that you can post?

Please check out the thread that I started about this. If you can help him now you won't have to put him down. It's up to you though. My tom got this in 2009 and had it off and on since then. The last time he got it it never straightened out but he is living with it with no problems. He has been this way for 2 years.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-issues-with-pics-treatment-vet-state-testing

 

[kuntrygirl]

How is your turkey?

 

[retlaw]

Its a tom so fighting can cause it.

Its hard to watch them scrap it out, they fight in late morning and early afternoon, for a few hours a day to figure out pecking order.
To insure your tom doesn't get it from fighting then you must separate the toms.
Even if you jump in between them in a good fight they don't stop.

 

[Celie]

Its a tom so fighting can cause it.

Its hard to watch them scrap it out, they fight in late morning and early afternoon, for a few hours a day to figure out pecking order.
To insure your tom doesn't get it from fighting then you must separate the toms.
Even if you jump in between them in a good fight they don't stop.

Overly Aggrieve behavior can be stopped or at least cut down, by picking up the aggressor and carrying him around. He will calm down and take awhile for him to get his attitude back. I will do this if it looks like the fight will last more than a couple minutes and a simple getting between them will not break it up. I have 13 toms, so until they finish filling out, I don't know who's going to freezer camp!