My turkey is still lame... It's foot where the three toes come together is swollen// she stil leans on that side.. It's been 4 days now.. this happened when I was transporting her.. I've been feeding her cat food and lots of water and cracked corn.. She eats well, but doesn't get up.. The second day she was up alittle walking around and then I would help her every few hours.. Yesterday and today she seems worse... Any help on this would be great... AND NOOOOOO I DON'T WANT TO EAT HER THANKS YOU... CARRIE

-- carrie (onemaur@olg.com), November 30, 2001

Answers

What about bumblefoot? Does anyone know more about it? I haven't had any with the problem. What about antibiotics? Whatcha all think? Are there any open places at all on her foot?

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), November 30, 2001.

Have you tried asking a vet for advice? I did that once, and he told me I could pick up a tube of antibiotics for birds at the front desk. I think it cost me about $10. I think he figured that I wasn't going to bring in a chicken for a vet visit - I wasn't THAT fond of the rooster, but from a practical point of view a good, well-mannered rooster was easily worth the cost of the meds. I DID bring a chicken in to see a vet once: it was my sons pet, and it cost about $50 for a Sunday exam (he LOVES that bird!) and meds. The vet said that chickens are pretty much like any other bird, and that a vet who could treat a parrot could also treat a hen.

GOOD LUCK

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), November 30, 2001.

Have you tried asking the people over on the poulty forum? Go to Poultryconnection.com and click on their poultry forum. Lots of folks there with good ideas and lots of poultry experience.

-- mary (mlg@aol.com), November 30, 2001.

I wouldn't force her up if she doesn't want to. There's no need for her to be walking, and it's obviously making her foot worse. An animal will heal on its own at it's own speed---trying to make her walk is only to reassure you, not do her any good. If she continues to eat and otherwise seem ok, that's about the best you can do. If this is a broken bone or cracked bone, torn ligament, even a bad sprain, it will NOT heal overnight. Let her go at her own pace and I think you'll see her come around.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), November 30, 2001.

I had a parrakeet once that fell of it's cage and hurt it's leg really badly...something fell ontop of it after it fell. I took it to the vet...and he just told me to let it be...it would gradually heal. It took a long time...and i was really worried. But that bird came around in about a month. It acted just like it normally would...except that it had a limp, and didnt want to move unless it had to. But it would still come hopping towards you on it's good leg to defend it's food, or to get some attention. Parakeets are alot more fragile than turkeys are too. So, im sure your turkey will be fine. Maybe you should ask your vet about anitinflammatory meds, thnough. Put some vitamins in it's water. =)

-- D of CA (Muhawi001@hotmail.com), November 30, 2001.

I have a gander who was a farm casualty with a broken leg. I did take him to an avian vet and had the leg pinned (he's very much a pet), but while he was recuperating, I took a large canvas (heavy duty) tote bag, cut holes for his feet, a scoop for his neck, and a hole in the back for his vent, tied the handles together to keep him in, and took pantyhose and strung him up over a beam in my cellar. He hurt his the foot on his bad leg about 2 months ago and I did the same thing (still had the same canvas bag) and strung him up in my barn. That way you can keep them totally off their feet if you want, or lower them down enough so that their feet touch the ground and they can move around without using all their weight. Good luck!

-- Kelly (beerfarm@midtel.net), November 30, 2001.

I went through something similar recently with a hen. Once I gave up and put her back outside to either heal or die, she did much better. I think the softer surface of the ground and grass was what she needed instead of the inside of my bathtub or dog kennel with an unnaturally hard surface.

-- Carmen Black (carmen@zoomnet.net), December 03, 2001.

I've been having quite a few problems with my chickens also. I am sorry that I cannot help with any of your problems, but please reply if you have an answer to mine. Every couple of days I wake up and go check on the chickens and I notice that there is one chicken in the corner with its leg ripped off, and all the other chickens are eating it. I am pretty sure this is not normal chicken behavior.. If you could tell me what is going on, it would be much appreciated.

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-- Ralph Hurley (president@shabaam.com), April 24, 2002.