What to do if turkey poults fall on their feet

Very often, turkey poults fall on their feet. Especially this problem occurs in heavy broiler breeds. This may be due to various reasons. Let’s consider what causes a fall on his feet, how to help birds at home, and in which cases you should seek medical help.

If turkey poults fall on their legs

Causes turkey poults fall on their feet

Conventionally, all the reasons leading to the fall of turkey poults on their legs can be divided into 2 groups:

• inadequate care conditions;
• disease .

We will consider each group of reasons separately.

Inappropriate conditions of care

There are certain requirements for the content of turkey poults . We will not talk about them now. But, non-compliance with these requirements will certainly lead to health problems. The turkey has a fairly large weight. In order for the extremities to develop correctly, he needs to walk, even if we are talking about broiler breeds , which are fattened for meat.Accordingly, there should be enough space in the house. It is also necessary to equip a spacious aviary. Turkeys are not suitable for cellular maintenance.

Also turkeys can fall on their feet if they do not receive all the necessary nutrients. We always give mineral additives to the mixers (chalk, fish and meat and bone meal, chopped greens, etc.). Do not forget that from time to time it is necessary to give vitamins to birds. Especially negative for the development of bones is the lack of calcium. Take care that the birds receive this trace element in the right quantities.

Another reason for the fall of turkey poults on their feet is not known to all poultry farmers. Excessive fat can kill birds. Therefore, do not abuse corn and natural soy. Also beware of foods high in vitamin A and high protein foods. The diet should be balanced and well thought out.

Diseases

Many diseases result in the bird falling to its feet. Particularly susceptible to diseases of turkey poults in the first months of life. Therefore, during this period, carefully monitor them. Newcastle disease, typhoid, synovitis, arthritis, and rheumatism lead to falling to the feet. Sometimes diseases lead to the fact that turkey legs begin to twist.

It is very important to take timely treatment. If we are talking about an infectious disease, then it will spread rapidly and will come to mass death of the livestock.

Sometimes the cause of falling on your legs is the most common injuries sustained during the fight . A bird can get such injuries even if the house is poorly equipped. In the manufacture of all wooden elements, boards need to be well sanded. All floorboards, in spite of the fact that they are covered with a layer of straw, should be smooth and even.

Sometimes the limbs move around in the birds, which leads to their fall. the reason for this is poor health, and in particular the ligaments are weak from birth. If turkeys, which are used for breeding, lack nutrients, then you should not expect strong and healthy offspring.

Determine the cause of the fall on your feet

Before you think than to treat the chicks, you need to determine why they fell to their feet. Maybe a medical treatment will not be needed. To understand the cause of this phenomenon was a disease or poor living conditions, observe the behavior of birds. Sick birds are not suitable for feeders and drinkers. They have an untidy appearance, feathers stick together. It also distinguishes a sick bird from a healthy lethargic behavior.

If the bird, despite an ailment, behaves actively and eats with pleasure, and the main problem is only that the Turkeys sat on their feet, then the reason lies in inappropriate conditions of detention. Check rates for turkey house sizes. Or maybe the fact is that the chicks do not have enough food.There should be so many feeders in the house so that during feeding no crowds will form around them. Well, if the reason is not a violation of the content standards, then make adjustments to the diet.

Regardless of what caused the disease, isolate weak chicks from healthy ones. Once they are back on their feet, move them to a shared house. Until then, Turkey should receive enhanced nutrition and vitamin supplements.

Symptoms of diseases that lead to a fall on the legs

Before you learn how to treat a sick population, need to determine the disease. The easiest way is to consult a specialist who, after examination, will make a diagnosis. But there is not always such an opportunity. Therefore, you need to navigate at least in the main diseases. We will consider what symptoms appear in the most common diseases, and tell what causes these diseases.

Arthritis

This disease is common enough. It is characterized by curvature of the extremities and enlargement of the joints. Also, over time, feathered appetite disappears, and they become lethargic. But, in fact, the only sign of the disease is that the limbs are bent. The rest appear in the absence of treatment and they are caused by the pain experienced by the bird. If untreated, the poultry stops walking and, in the end, die. This ailment is not contagious. Accordingly, the entire livestock will not hurt.

The cause of arthritis is excessive protein intake. Accordingly, prevention comes down exclusively to the proper nutrition of birds.

Newcastle disease

The disease begins due to poor care

This is an infectious disease. Accordingly, it is transmitted from one individual to another. In this case, the disease is transmitted very quickly. Therefore, symptoms begin to appear in almost all young animals at the same time. In addition to leg weakness, which is the main symptom of the disease, chicks have diarrhea . Feces in this disease have an extremely unpleasant odor. In addition to problems with the work of the digestive tract, loss of appetite and lethargy are observed. In turkey poultry, the size of the goiter increases, the wings become motionless.

The cause of this disease is non-compliance with sanitary standards. Prevention of Newcastle disease is poultry pest control, which must be done at least once every 2 years. Also remember to keep clean in feeders and drinkers. Unfortunately, today there is no medicine for this disease.

Typhoid

This ailment is infectious. Accordingly, like Newcastle disease, it is dangerous for the entire livestock in the house. A symptom of typhoid fever is an uncertain gait.turkeys sway from side to side, walking at a slow pace. Symptoms of typhoid are also loss of appetite and lethargy.

The disease is dangerous, and in most cases leads to death. The surviving birds are carriers of infection. The meat and eggs of these birds should not be eaten. To prevent typhoid, vaccination must be done.

Rheumatism

Like arthritis, rheumatism occurs due to human negligence. Cold and damp – the cause of rheumatism. At the initial stage of the disease, birds feel pain during walking. Accordingly, his gait becomes unnatural, he often sits on the floor. If untreated, rheumatism is fatal.

Prevention of rheumatism is to maintain a normal temperature in the room (at least 150C for adults and 250C for young animals).

Respiratory mycoplasmosis

This disease is caused by microorganisms. If a turkey has no problems with immunity, then it resists these microorganisms without problems. With weak immunity, the bird begins to hurt. Respiratory mycoplasmosis is transmitted by airborne droplets. As a rule, young animals are ill with them.

First of all, the eyes begin to redden, and nasal discharge appears.Then, a cough appears, the plumage begins to look untidy, the legs swell, the appetite disappears, after which, if untreated, the legs fail and the eyes close.

Prevention of the disease is vaccination of young animals. Also, do not forget to give feathered vitamin complexes to maintain immunity.

Synovitis

Another non-communicable disease that cannot be transmitted from one bird to another. During synovitis, poultry joints become inflamed. Symptoms of synovitis include lethargy and pallor of skin folds in the neck. During illness, the legs swell in the joints. At the initial stage of the disease, the chicks are lame, after which they completely fall to their feet. Diarrhea may appear at an advanced stage of the disease.

Prevention of synovitis is good nutrition and normal living conditions.

Consult a doctor if possible. Sometimes it’s very difficult to distinguish one disease from another.

We treat diseases of turkey poults at home

If you find out why turkey poults fall on their feet, you need to start then action. First of all, sick turkeys are placed in a separate cage. If we are talking about infectious diseases, then it needs to be relocated to a separate room, and completely isolated not only from turkeys, but also from all other birds and animals that are on the farm.

After isolation, turkeys that fall on legs, provide enhanced nutrition.At the same time, it should be strengthened not by increasing the portion, but by changing the composition. In addition to food, it is necessary to provide sick birds with good conditions. Well, and, if necessary, give patients medications. In the absence of a response to the treatment of patients, poultry are killed .

Treatment of specific diseases

• In case of arthritis of fallen poultry it is advisable to drink anti-inflammatory drugs. In addition to medicines, we give feathered vitamin complexes. The body of turkeys especially needs arthritis in vitamin D, A and B. Be sure to add bone meal and chopped greens, boiled eggs to the mash. As soon as the bird recovers, remove the eggs from the diet. During the preparation of the stirrer we use yogurt or reverse. In addition to the feeders, we put in the poultry house containers with crushed chalk and shell rock. Additionally, you can put a container with coal. Every day we take out a sick turkey on the street. During the walk, you can leave him in the enclosure with healthy birds.
• With Newcastle disease, you need to act with lightning speed. We isolate and kill sick individuals. We provide healthy turkeys with enhanced nutrition. It will not be amiss to disinfect the house.
• Synovitis should be treated with medication. You can use biomycin or streptomycin.
• Respiratory mycoplasmosis with antibiotics. After the cure of the livestock, we always perform pest control in the house.

When diarrhea occurs, it will not be out of place to drink turkey poultry with metronidazole . It must be given in accordance with the instructions. It is worth noting that with the help of metronidazole, many diseases are treated in turkeys. Therefore, it should always be kept at hand.

Folk remedies that can be prepared at home are ineffective. In addition, most ailments develop rapidly. Therefore, if the livestock has swollen legs, you do not need to spend on experiments.

Preventive measures

In order not to think why the turkey poults began to fall on their feet, it’s enough to follow a few simple rules. First of all, create normal conditions in the house. The greatest danger to turkeys is damp. Therefore, it is necessary to ventilate the house at least every other day and make sure that the litter is dry. In summer, we air the house every day.

We must not forget about vaccination. There is a schedule according to which small turkeys are vaccinated against Newcastle disease. They do this twice: on the 15th and 22nd day of life. Also as a prophylaxis in the first months of life turkey poultry is fed with broad-spectrum antibiotics. But you need to do this on schedule as well.

Nutrition plays an important role. It is difficult to prepare a balanced mix on your own. Therefore, it is advisable to give the birds factory feed intended for young animals in the first months of life.

Conclusion

We figured out why turkey legs are twisted and what to do about it. In order to timely diagnose the disease, you need to watch the pets. If at least one leg is swollen, quarantine the turkey. Also pay attention to the turkey if he gets up and sits too often. Do not delay treatment. As a rule, after both legs refused to save the birds, it does not work.