# Turkey problems



## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Sorry for the rotten pics. He wasn't too interested in having his pic taken. The bottom pic shows how he stands most of the time. He keeps his back end up all the time, never relaxes down so his tail feathers drag the ground. When he takes a step it's halting and almost like he's debating whether or not he can actually keep his balance. The top pic shows how his feet are all the time....like he's walking on his tip toes. He has lost weight and hasn't regained his feathers like I thought he would (he's one we got from the place that had goats with CL...) The female is doing great. We sold the other 2 toms.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

He sure does look like he isn't feeling well. Maybe NyGoatMom would have some answers.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Hmmm Carmen, that's really odd. I'd try an antibiotic route, Tylan 200 . 1cc per 10 lbs orally for 5 days twice a day.Also, look him over really well for any injuries,abcesses or lice/mites.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

maybe wormy..with him not gaining weight or feathers..he seems weak..


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Look for bumble foot, he maybe standing like that because the pads of his feet hurt.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Thanks guys. We'll get some wormer and worm the whole flock. It's not bumblefoot....first thing we checked for. LOL Guess we'll see what happens after that.


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## In_Clover (Feb 28, 2013)

We've got a pet turkey. Don't mean to sound gross, but what does his poop look like? His feathers won't grow back until he molts.
Last winter, our turkey (named Dolly) had extremely bad diarrhea. I had a lot of trouble locating good "turkey info." I managed to find some, and it recommended a penecillin shot. I gave a total of two shots- cannot remember the dang dosage- but it cleared up the diarrhea extremely fast and she made a very rapid recovery. (Besides the diarrhea, she wouldn't eat, puffed up feathers, etc) So maybe do a search for turkey-penecillin-illness and see what you come up with.
Hope he gets better. I'm real fond of our turkey- never thought I would be- but I am.


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## Greybird (May 14, 2014)

He is definitely standing like a sick turkey and it's probably pretty serious since birds will try to hide their illnesses for as long as possible. In addition, this time of year is when the toms are in full-blown breeding mode, and that's hard on them. They don't eat as much as normal and instead live off of the breast sponge that they have accumulated during the winter. He's just a youngster so he might already be at the end of his food reserves. His primaries have been dragged off considerably, especially for such a young guy, so he has obviously been strutting his stuff very enthusiastically.

What do his poops look like? Turkeys have two kinds - one is regular waste and one empties the ceca. The cecal droppings (about 1 out of 8, more or less) are always runny, stinky and gross, so I try to avoid those, but the regular ones should be firm, J-shaped, and tipped with white. If they aren't then he has a problem.
I avoid antibiotics of all kinds with my own turkeys and they have acres for free-ranging, but I am always prepared to treat them for coccidia if they show signs of it. That would be my fist suspicion.

They are subject to several other diseases that all have similar symptoms but, if it's any consolation, it's unlikely that a turkeys would get anything from goats - or vice versa - other than the regular things that always thrive in dirty conditions, like salmonella and coccidia, etc. Ectoparasites and worms are always a possibility, but mammal worms and bird worms are not quite the same.
I think that worms are opportunists and that they will infect anything they can, but they probably can't complete their life cycle in the wrong kind of host. That's no reason to let them live, though, and worming him might help a lot provided that he's strong enough to endure it.
I hope he feels better soon, poor little guy. I have always liked Royal Palms - in fact, a long-ago Royal Palm turkey helped to found my own flock of pencilled turkeys.

(I'm the person who first developed pencilled turkeys ... long story ... but since I sold some to the Porters many years ago and they bred/sold lots of them, they are now available in many places.)


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## In_Clover (Feb 28, 2013)

Wow, GreyBird, you are an incredible source of knowledge on these birds. That is an excellent answer. I'd love to ask you some more questions on turkeys, but don't want to hijack this thread. I'll post separately.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Awesome! Thanks. Hubby did a search and we decided on coccidiosis also. Too late to get anything to treat until tuesday now. We're penning him and will give him some garlic and cayenne at least until we can something to treat.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

InClover...you are more than welcome to hijack...


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## In_Clover (Feb 28, 2013)

Thanks kccjer. First off, our turkey (Dolly) is a Broad Breasted Bronze. She came to live with us when a friend of my husband's wanted to downsize his flock. Anyway, she is a large lady (Yes, she was named after Dolly Parton due to her rather enlarged... you get the drift) and I wanted to know about Grey Bird's specific diet for turkeys. The only specific info. I could find was a need for magnesium.
Also, she would like to hang around our chickens, but our rooster has an intense dislike of her and will spur her at the drop of a hat. Why does Rudy, our rooster, have it out for her?
I know you are not supposed to keep turkeys and chickens together due to black head, but she has not gotten it in 2 yrs. 
Another question is about her walking. She's so large that walking is lumbered. She does not have bumble foot. I think the problem might be in her leg joints due to her size~ just don't know. Is there some kind of supplement I could give her, like glucosamine?
Sorry this is so long, but you don't run into turkey experts very often. Thanks, Grey Bird!:thankU:


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

I can't help you on the walking issue but we run our turkeys in with the chickens too. And the ducks....and the geese....and guineas....anyway. LOL I'm always finding out about 2 years after successfully doing something that I'll kill everything if I do it my way. :shrug: So far I've not lost anything because of improper "handling" and "storage" LOL BTW...I need a pic of that turkey. She sounds like a match for out Tom (yeah, we get creative with names LOL) who has been around for a few years now.


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## In_Clover (Feb 28, 2013)

Oh boy, would Dolly want some serious attention from that guy! She's laying eggs, and wants them to hatch. Poor gal doesn't know that they're infertile. She does that fluttering thing with her wings every time we walk around her. Looks like your Tom might be doing the fluttering wing thing in your pic.! LoL I'll try and get a pic of her. Her tail feathers have taken a beating from bantams and ducks, but I do not think you boy would turn her down! LOL


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