Perhaps any turkey farmer has come across a situation where the birds fall to their feet. In this situation, turkeys feel helpless and, giving a loud voice, they want to receive prompt help from the owner. Effective therapy is especially important in cases where preventive measures have not helped to cope with infectious diseases. Having figured out why turkeys fall to their feet how to treat this ailment, you can save a whole livestock.

Reasons for falling turkeys on their feet

Why do turkeys fall to their feet? The main reasons why the paws can bend should be attributed:

  • Keeping in a small enclosed area of ​​a large herd. In order for the bird to develop fully, the body was formed healthy, and the limbs functioned normally, turkeys need a spacious walk. If a large number of individuals are kept in a close aviary, this causes a massive fall of the bird on its feet.
  • Lack of attention to herd health: neglect of systematic preventive measures. Vaccinations are often ignored in small households, which could save them from many diseases.
  • Lack of knowledge that helps to provide timely and effective therapy for leg diseases in turkeys.
  • Lack of calcium in the diet. In a complete and correct bird menu, shells, chalk and shells from domestic eggs should be present. Due to improper diet, the bird can fall to its feet.
  • A large percentage of a variety of fats, vitamin A, corn and soy in the diet. Very often, such a diet causes the herd to fall to its feet. As a result, the bird may die.

Turkey

How to correctly determine the reason for the fall of turkey poults on their feet

Before starting therapy, it is necessary to determine the cause of the bird falling to its feet. In some cases, drug treatment is not required. To determine the cause, you should:

  • Pay attention to the behavior of the birds. A sick bird will not approach the feeder and drinker. The turkey will look untidy and painful, and the feathers will start to stick together. The behavior will be lethargic, the neck of the turkeys will be bent. These symptoms will indicate the development of the disease.
  • In cases where turkeys are active and eat a lot, but still fall to their feet, we can talk about improper housing conditions, as a result of which the bird begins to fall off its feet. In this case, it will be necessary to expand the room for keeping turkeys and walking enclosures. It is also worth paying attention to food, which should be of high quality and complete. Vitamin supplements should be included in the daily menu. You can help the bird stand up and roll over. It is unacceptable to try to forcefully turn the paws into the correct position.
  • In turkey poults, legs twist: what to do and how to help a young bird? Regardless of the reason for falling to their feet, weak birds should be isolated from healthy individuals. Only after complete recovery can the turkeys be returned to the common herd.

Diseases of turkey poults that lead to falls on their legs and their treatment

If the chicks fall to their feet, the cause and treatment are outlined below.There are types of ailments in which the turkeys do not stand up or move with difficulty. The most common diseases include:

  • Arthritis, which is a danger to the health and proper development of the bird. Why turkey poults sit on their feet and limp, how to treat - this often worries the breeder. Typically, the reason arthritis begins to develop is due to excess protein in the feed. As a result of the disease, the bird begins to suffer from curvature of the legs (the paws can turn in the other direction), an increase in the joints. The bird falls to its feet and can no longer move. With severe arthritis, turkeys die. As a preventive measure, it is important to provide ample walking space and feed the herd properly. If arthritis is found in turkey poults, how to treat it? For therapeutic purposes, veterinarians prescribe antibiotics and antiviral drugs (Ampicillin, Polymyxin, Sulfadimethoxin). The treatment lasts 5 days. The drugs are mixed with food or injected intramuscularly. At the same time, the bird needs to be helped to sit down. It is necessary to carry out general cleaning in the room and change the litter.
  • Why do turkeys twist their legs and the paw looks crooked? The cause may be Newcastle disease, which affects all young animals at the same time. The goiter of the bird begins to swell and swell, fetid diarrhea appears, the individual prefers to lie down all day. The bird's legs may twist unnaturally. Unfortunately, it is impossible to save the bird in this situation. Paralysis develops rapidly and chicks die quickly. For preventive purposes, it is important to timely vaccinate the herd. Do not try to twist the feet back into the correct position.
  • Typhus is a dangerous infectious disease that leads to unsteadiness in the gait of turkeys. Quite often, sick individuals die, but even in case of survival, it is better not to leave the bird in the common poultry house, as it becomes a carrier of infection. If typhoid is found, it is forbidden to export finished products from the poultry farm. For prevention, the herd should be vaccinated in a timely manner. The turkey's paw is twisted, what to do is the first question that arises in this situation. It is recommended to treat poultry for typhoid with sulfa drugs (Sulfaquinoxaline, Sulfamethazine, Sulfathiazole and Sulfadiazine). Often sulfonamides can only suppress the growth of microorganisms and increase egg production, improve water absorption by the body. The duration of treatment is 7-10 days if the chicks have leg problems.
  • Rheumatism develops in turkeys that live in cold and damp rooms. In this case, the bird experiences severe pain, often sits on its feet. It gradually weakens and dies. To avoid such a sad outcome, it is very important to provide the turkeys with good housing conditions. During therapy, the turkey poultry diet should be replenished with chalk, shells and freshly cut green grass. Keep flocks warm and change bedding every 2 days. At the first sign of eversion of the turkey's paw, treatment should begin immediately.
  • Synovitis is an ailment characterized by an inflammatory process in the joints. The bird begins to suffer from coral pallor, lameness, swelling of the joints, lethargy. With a severe form of synovitis, diarrhea appears. The bird falls to its feet and utters a loud cry to attract the attention of the owner. The limbs may swell. The legs of turkey poults are parting; what to do, how to help them? Antibiotics such as Gallimycin, Baytril, or Tilan should be used to treat synovitis. Tilan 200 is most effective and should be injected into the pectoral muscle of the bird. It is very important to start therapy as early as possible, which will increase the chance of recovery. It will take more than 5 days to be treated.

Diseases of turkey poults that lead to falls on their legs and their treatment

Having studied the main diseases of the legs in turkey poults, their signs and treatment, you can take timely measures and avoid mass mortality of the herd.

Preventive measures

To avoid the sad consequences of the ailments listed above, it is important to take preventive measures.

  • Providing the herd with long walks in well-ventilated open areas is the main condition for keeping. Small turkeys (diurnal and older chicks) usually move a lot in search of food, this allows them to strengthen their legs and prevent them from bending, to ensure their correct formation.
  • The bird should spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer, since the lack of bright light negatively affects the health of the turkeys.
  • It is important to pay attention to the poultry menu so that the feed makes up for the lack of vitamins and minerals. Useful supplements will help your paws to form properly and avoid falling to your feet.
  • An excess of this or that product is unacceptable! This leads to undesirable consequences.
  • Litter straw should be changed every 2 days. It is also important to monitor the condition of the litter. Due to the heavy weight of the birds, straw or sawdust quickly compresses and becomes unusable.
  • The house climate should be dry and warm.
  • It is imperative to systematically disinfect the house to avoid spreading the infection.

Taking preventive measures correctly and in a timely manner, you can be confident in the health and activity of the herd. In addition, it is more economical to observe prevention than to treat the diseases that have arisen. It is very important not to ignore the importance of vaccination and carry it out on your own or with the help of a veterinarian. If, nevertheless, the disease has spread throughout the poultry house, it is necessary to transfer sick individuals to an isolated room in a timely manner and immediately begin treatment, which will increase the chance of recovery.