Turkey poult with a twisted leg

[Indianachickenlover1]

Hello
I bought my first baby turkey about a week ago. She has been very energetic and active. Yesterday when I took her out I noticed she had a twisted leg. We put her in a sort of leg brace thinking maybe it was splay leg but it's almost like her knee is bending inward. Yesterday she had electrolytes and tonight I gave her some vitamin b 12. I have never dealt with a slipped tendon but we did try and see if that was the problem and don't think it is. Does anyone have any thoughts on what could be wrong with her? I plan on trying to find a vet to see her tomorrow but I am not sure if they will.

 

[R2elk]

Hello
I bought my first baby turkey about a week ago. She has been very energetic and active. Yesterday when I took her out I noticed she had a twisted leg. We put her in a sort of leg brace thinking maybe it was splay leg but it's almost like her knee is bending inward. Yesterday she had electrolytes and tonight I gave her some vitamin b 12. I have never dealt with a slipped tendon but we did try and see if that was the problem and don't think it is. Does anyone have any thoughts on what could be wrong with her? I plan on trying to find a vet to see her tomorrow but I am not sure if they will.

If it is a slipped tendon, you have to extend the leg fully to be able to manipulate the tendon back into the groove in the back of the hock. If you can get the tendon back in place, you need to fashion a brace that will keep it in place and then tape that onto the leg. If you can't get the tendon back into place, nothing will fix it.

Improper feed can make the situation worse. Poults need the higher levels of protein, lysine, methionine and niacin found in a proper turkey or game bird starter feed for proper development.

 

[Indianachickenlover1]

If it is a slipped tendon, you have to extend the leg fully to be able to manipulate the tendon back into the groove in the back of the hock. If you can get the tendon back in place, you need to fashion a brace that will keep it in place and then tape that onto the leg. If you can't get the tendon back into place, nothing will fix it.

Improper feed can make the situation worse. Poults need the higher levels of protein, lysine, methionine and niacin found in a proper turkey or game bird starter feed for proper development.

We did check for a slipped tendon based on a few YouTube videos we watched and it feels like the tendon is where is should be. I am going to call a few vets today and hopefully one of them will look at her. Thank you for the information on the feed. I was told they could just eat chick starter feed by multiple people who had raised them before. She does have rooster booster in her feed and as of last night b 12 in her water. We also gave her a dose of B12 directly as we read that often helps with leg problems.

 

[R2elk]

We did check for a slipped tendon based on a few YouTube videos we watched and it feels like the tendon is where is should be. I am going to call a few vets today and hopefully one of them will look at her. Thank you for the information on the feed. I was told they could just eat chick starter feed by multiple people who had raised them before. She does have rooster booster in her feed and as of last night b 12 in her water. We also gave her a dose of B12 directly as we read that often helps with leg problems.

Broad breasted turkeys are prone to leg problems. They grow so fast that the condition can be made worse by improperly feeding them. Chick starter does not have the level of protein, lysine, methionine or niacin that they require for proper development.

Vitamin B12 does not contain the other B vitamins (niacin and thiamine) that are critical to proper development. Vitamin B complex contains all of the B vitamins that they need.

Neither vitamin B complex or rooster booster contain the higher level of protein, lysine and methionine they need for their fast growth rates.

 

[Molpet]

Most Poults that have leg problems early have been fed chick starter.
My buddy didn't want to spend the extra money on turkey starter and ended up with the wonky leg. He took it to a vet and over a $100 for selenium and b vit shot. Was better for a few weeks. He kept feeding it the chick starter, didn't want to waste it and ended up having to cull. Would have been a lot cheaper to spend the extra $10 on the Purina turkey starter.

 

[Indianachickenlover1]

Hello
I bought my first baby turkey about a week ago. She has been very energetic and active. Yesterday when I took her out I noticed she had a twisted leg. We put her in a sort of leg brace thinking maybe it was splay leg but it's almost like her knee is bending inward. Yesterday she had electrolytes and tonight I gave her some vitamin b 12. I have never dealt with a slipped tendon but we did try and see if that was the problem and don't think it is. Does anyone have any thoughts on what could be wrong with her? I plan on trying to find a vet to see her tomorrow but I am not sure if they will.

So an update. I was able to find a vet who would see her. (At first I couldn't find any vets who would see turkeys so I ended up asking our local 4-H office and they gave me a list of vets and I found one. So anyone looking for a vet try talking to the 4-H office they were so helpful!) the vet said she has splay leg and we are hobbling her and trying to correct her knee. I don't know if it will work but we are trying and hoping it does. I do wish I had done more research before buying her. I had talked to other people who fed their turkeys chick starter and had no problems and the vet actually told me yesterday that chick starter was fine to feed baby turkeys. I will look for turkey food when I go back to rural king. Thanks to everyone for the helpful info.

 

[R2elk]

the vet actually told me yesterday that chick starter was fine to feed baby turkeys.

This is proof that your vet does not know the nutritional requirement of turkey poults. I very much doubt that the poult has splay leg. Splay leg is rare in poults. Perosis is common in broad breasted turkeys.

 

[Indianachickenlover1]

She did say that splay leg was uncommon in turkeys but she still thought that's what it was. Do you recommend vitamins and turkey feed? Or do you think it's too late? I plan on trying to help her until she doesn't get up any more or seems to be in pain.

 

[R2elk]

She did say that splay leg was uncommon in turkeys but she still thought that's what it was. Do you recommend vitamins and turkey feed? Or do you think it's too late? I plan on trying to help her until she doesn't get up any more or seems to be in pain.

The poult needs a proper high protein turkey or gamevbird starter. I use Purina 30% protein game bird starter.

It won't hurt and may help to give vitamin B complex. Make it at the rate of one half tablet dissolved in one gallon of water. Make it the sole source of water. It should be made fresh daily.

Good luck.