9 week old turkey can’t walk

[Its a bunch of choas]

Please help my 9 week old BB Turkey just went down 5 days ago. He is pale but still eating and drinking but can not stand. No signs of injury, I have food and water available to him for him to reach since he can not move. He is still pooping but lays in it. He has lost body weight. I hosed him off today to get him cleaned up and he just laid there and flapped his wings a couple times but not moving his legs. The other 3 turkeys same age are acting just fine. He is isolated from them by himself. I did dose him with Metronidazole on day 2 and safe guard on day 4 and 5 thinking maybe blackhead. I also gave him feed with cayenne mixed. He is pooping pasty yellow and at times pasty brown. He is not in the same coop at chickens. Tomorrow I'm gonna try to make a sling to get him off the ground. Any help is appreciated please and thank you

 

[Granny Hatchet]

Anyone?

 

[Granny Hatchet]

@Miss Lydia , I dont know if OP is still here or not. She first posted in a pm to me 3 days ago and I asked her to post here.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@Its a bunch of choas
Please go here for help.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/turkeys.20/

 

[my spoiled chickens]

I have heard that once they get to a certain size their legs cant support them you are talking about the broad breasted white,right?

 

[MamaPoult]

@R2elk is really knowledgable

 

[my spoiled chickens]

@ColtHandorf
@Bantambird

 

[Bantambird]

Broad breasted turkeys can have a lot of problems by virtue of their narrow breeding. They have been bred to the point that sometimes, their size outpaces their bone growth. At a certain point, they can no longer be allowed to elevate themselves off the ground for fear of them breaking a leg when jumping down as little as a foot. I have had BB birds just a few times, but my heart can't take the inevitable issues they develop from the single trait breeding they have gone through to make them the efficient meat birds that they are. Did he sprain his leg? Is he getting the right protein proportion in his feed? I have no info on blackhead, it isn't in my area here in Montana. Could perhaps be maybe botulism? These Broad breasted birds are super sensitive.

 

[Its a bunch of choas]

I have heard that once they get to a certain size their legs cant support them you are talking about the broad breasted white,right?

Yes, he is not that big for his legs not to be able to support him.

 

[Its a bunch of choas]

Broad breasted turkeys can have a lot of problems by virtue of their narrow breeding. They have been bred to the point that sometimes, their size outpaces their bone growth. At a certain point, they can no longer be allowed to elevate themselves off the ground for fear of them breaking a leg when jumping down as little as a foot. I have had BB birds just a few times, but my heart can't take the inevitable issues they develop from the single trait breeding they have gone through to make them the efficient meat birds that they are. Did he sprain his leg? Is he getting the right protein proportion in his feed? I have no info on blackhead, it isn't in my area here in Montana. Could perhaps be maybe botulism? These Broad breasted birds are super sensitive.

He has no songs of an injury do to it being both legs. But I guess I can not roll out sprain. I feel even with a sprain he should be able to bare some weight especially after a week. He should have plenty of protein he is on supplements along with kalmbach turkey starter feed. The other 3 turkeys are fine and eat the same stuff. I don’t feel like he’s too big for his legs not to be able to support him. I can roll out blackhead he shows no signs. They are supper sensitive, I have done a lot of research and calls. It’s not botulism either. I’m more looking into tendon damage. I will open him up this weekend. He is not showing no signs of improvement. I have called 16 different vets and nobody knows.