Leg Problem with turkey poult

[Zaphod 14]

I have a 3 week old heritage turkey poult with their right leg almost twisting, towards the left basically overlapping their left foot. I have not seen this issue before and can't seem to find information for it on any of the threads or online. This is my first year raising heritage turkeys and I am very limited in my knowledge of these birds. I would like to save the baby so if there is any advice on what I can do please reach out to me! I will upload pictures if a visual reference is needed.

 

[R2elk]

I have a 3 week old heritage turkey poult with their right leg almost twisting, towards the left basically overlapping their left foot. I have not seen this issue before and can't seem to find information for it on any of the threads or online. This is my first year raising heritage turkeys and I am very limited in my knowledge of these birds. I would like to save the baby so if there is any advice on what I can do please reach out to me! I will upload pictures if a visual reference is needed.

Photos may help. Sounds like a slipped tendon. If so, you have to manipulate the tendon back into the groove on the back of the hock and secure it there. It will likely need a splint and taped in place. The prognosis for recovery is not good.

 

[Zaphod 14]

UPDATE #1 Here are some photos of the turkey in question. They appear to get around more or less just fine, however they do hunch over more than the others. This poult also will stay in one position more than the others, mostly under their heat lamp.

 

[R2elk]

Those hocks look really bad.

What are you feeding them?

 

[Zaphod 14]

Those hocks look really bad.

What are you feeding them?

Purina® | Game Bird + Turkey 30% Protein Starter​

The other 4 poults seem to be doing just fine, they jump/fly around whenever they see me and move around quickly to be near me whenever possible.

 

[ChickenScratchFeathers]

I am also having this same issue with my 3-week-old turkey poult. He is being fed turkey starter feed, gamebird feed and vitamins in the water. He appeared somewhat normal when I got him as a hatchling, but he has down spiraled as he ages. He started looking like this, and now, a week later, he is looking worse his toes are starting to curl, his left leg is completely bent back, and he has tremendous trouble standing. his hocks are so swollen. I've been doing therapy with him, and there's been improvements. But I got busy with work the past 3 days, and We lost the progress we made and his legs are back to terrible condition. I've tried tape, rubber bands, and the cup method, nothing is working.. The other turkey poult is completely healthy. I just feel so lost on what to do. I don't want to cull him... Please keep me updated on your turkey, I feel a little better knowing that I have a person experiencing the same exact thing that I can talk to. Hopefully we can save our turkeys...

 

[R2elk]

I am also having this same issue with my 3-week-old turkey poult. He is being fed turkey starter feed, gamebird feed and vitamins in the water. He appeared somewhat normal when I got him as a hatchling, but he has down spiraled as he ages. He started looking like this, and now, a week later, he is looking worse his toes are starting to curl, his left leg is completely bent back, and he has tremendous trouble standing. his hocks are so swollen. I've been doing therapy with him, and there's been improvements. But I got busy with work the past 3 days, and We lost the progress we made and his legs are back to terrible condition. I've tried tape, rubber bands, and the cup method, nothing is working.. The other turkey poult is completely healthy. I just feel so lost on what to do. I don't want to cull him... Please keep me updated on your turkey, I feel a little better knowing that I have a person experiencing the same exact thing that I can talk to. Hopefully we can save our turkeys...

If it is a slipped tendon, none of the things you have tried will work. You have to get the tendon back into the groove on the back of the hock and secure it there. You will probably need to fashion a splint and secure it in place.

The earlier it is addressed properly the better the chances of success are. Even then the prognosis is not good.

 

[Zaphod 14]

UPDATE #2
I took my turkey poult to the vet yesterday and the vet did not find a slipped tendon, nor any other leg issues of the sort. However he did find inflammation in the right leg, so he has the poult on carprofeen shots every 1-3 days. He believes the bird has gone through some sort of trauma that caused this particular issue. It could possibly be from my birds jumping whenever they see me, and this one just so happened to land wrong or something.I will update further once I see any sort of progress with the poult. The unofficial name is now Turk-Turk as I heard from the vet assistants.

 

[Zaphod 14]

I am also having this same issue with my 3-week-old turkey poult. He is being fed turkey starter feed, gamebird feed and vitamins in the water. He appeared somewhat normal when I got him as a hatchling, but he has down spiraled as he ages. He started looking like this, and now, a week later, he is looking worse his toes are starting to curl, his left leg is completely bent back, and he has tremendous trouble standing. his hocks are so swollen. I've been doing therapy with him, and there's been improvements. But I got busy with work the past 3 days, and We lost the progress we made and his legs are back to terrible condition. I've tried tape, rubber bands, and the cup method, nothing is working.. The other turkey poult is completely healthy. I just feel so lost on what to do. I don't want to cull him... Please keep me updated on your turkey, I feel a little better knowing that I have a person experiencing the same exact thing that I can talk to. Hopefully we can save our turkeys...

I'm sorry to hear about your bird! Hopefully our birds will make it through this season!