The sudden fall of the turkey on its feet is a frequent occurrence in the house, but it should not be allowed to go by itself. In this article, we have prepared for you information about the main reasons for turkey poults to fall on their feet, as well as what needs to be done so that your youngsters do not encounter this problem.
Why turkeys fall to their feet and what to do about it
Experienced poultry farmers recommend that such a chick be immediately resettled from its congeners until you determine the cause of the fall on your feet. 
It is especially important to act quickly if you notice other deterioration of health in the chick - limb deformity, diarrhea, swollen goiter and lack of appetite. Such symptoms may indicate an infection that has affected the weakest body of the turkey.
Read more about such breeds of turkeys: Uzbek fawn, Big 6, Bronze-708, Black Tikhoretskaya, White and Bronze Wide-breasted, Grade Maker, Victoria.
If the young still have active behavior and a good appetite, then the reason for the fall on the limbs is most likely the wrong diet or lack of free space. In this case, you should review the daily diet and conditions of your birds. 
Bad content
More often than not, poor housing conditions become the main reason why turkey poults fall to their feet. Let's consider the main violations that can provoke this ailment:
- Many birds in confined spaces. Experienced poultry farmers know that every chick needs free space in which it can develop and train its lower limbs. The crowding of poults in a small area significantly reduces their physical activity, thereby causing various disruptions in the functioning of the musculoskeletal system of the young.
- Limb injuries. This is mainly due to pecking of the legs by other, more aggressive chicks. It is advisable to identify the fighter in advance and keep him away from his relatives. Another reason for injuries of paws in poults is poor-quality materials used as bedding.
- Lack of calcium in food. The poor diet of turkey poults can provoke the appearance of various diseases of the skeletal system and other serious disruptions in the work of their growing organism. Make sure that the young receive daily balanced and varied food. Do not forget about the complex of vitamins and minerals.
- Excess fat and protein in food. Excessive daily intake of these components in food can cause various deformities of still weak limbs in poults, arthritis, and also weakening of legs. Most often, such violations cause an increased content of soy and corn in the daily diet.
Did you know? At the beginning of the 19th century, in many European countries, farmers grew turkey for its bright feathers, which filled pillows, inserted them into women's hats, and also made ornaments from them. Only in 1935, the active breeding of new breeds of this poultry with high rates of meat productivity began.
Important! In order to avoid crowding in the house, expect that for 5 poults up to 4 months old there would be at least 1 square meter of free space. Next, the amount of space should double.
Diseases
If you are sure that you follow all the necessary rules for proper and comfortable keeping of poults in the poultry house, but still notice their problems with limbs, then various infectious diseases in chicks can become the cause of the disease. Especially prone to diseases of turkey poults in the first months of life. 
The greatest danger to the young are:
- Asian Plague of Birds, or Newcastle Disease - The most common disease that causes turkey poults to fall on their feet. This virus in a very short period of time affects the internal organs of chicks, paralyzes the limbs and leads to their death. In addition to a sudden fall on your legs, you will be able to notice the following symptoms of Newcastle disease in poults - paralyzed wings, swollen goiter and profuse diarrhea with a strong odor. In order to prevent an epidemic in the house, it is necessary to isolate the sick chick as soon as possible from the rest of the birds. Vaccines that form a strong immunity to this virus do not yet exist, however, adherence to the rules of keeping young animals and proper preparation of the daily diet significantly reduce the likelihood of infection.
- Rheumatism. This disease is caused by keeping birds in damp and unheated poultry houses. Inflammations in the joints of the lower limbs make the chick often sit down on its legs, and after a while it cannot stand up due to pain in the weakened legs. If time does not take action, rheumatism inevitably leads to the death of poults. To avoid the death of young animals from rheumatism, take care to create comfortable conditions in the house, in particular, do not let the air temperature fall below + 28 ° C in the first month of the chicks' life.
- Arthritis. It occurs as a result of an unbalanced diet - an excess of protein in food provokes curvature and swelling of the joints of the lower limbs in poultry. If you notice the onset of arthritis and reduce the amount of protein consumed, this process of joint deformation is reversible. Compliance with the required standards for the content of young turkey poults and a diet enriched with vitamins and mineral complexes practically nullify the possibility of poultry infection with arthritis.
- Sinovit. This is an infectious disease that most often occurs before the chicks have reached three months of age. There are several reasons why synovitis pathogens can appear in the house, dampness and drafts, previously ill adults, poor-quality nutrition of the young and infection of eggs in an incubator. Synovitis is accompanied by deformation of the joints, cartilage tissue in the lower limbs of the chick and its internal organs. Patients are isolated from healthy and vaccinated. At the same time, the premises are disinfected. Early treatment of patients with synovitis turkeys increases their chances for full recovery.
- Typhus. Another name is pullorosis. This is a dangerous disease that causes death in young birds in 2-6 days. Most often, this infection gets to turkey poults from their adult relatives, however, it is possible to transfer pathogens by humans, ticks, rodents and other birds that fly into the room with chicks. Pulloraz bacteria can even penetrate into the eggs that are in the incubator: in this case, the chicks will live only a couple of hours. The main symptom of typhoid fever is persistent diarrhea, which eventually becomes a watery consistency of white or yellow color. The chances of the poults to recover after infection with pullorosis are small, while the recovered bird will forever become the carrier of this infection. The exact diagnosis can be found by donating feces of the diseased bird to the laboratory. Most often, after confirming typhus, chicks are slaughtered.
You can grow turkey poults out of eggs using an incubator. Learn how to incubate turkey eggs at home, how to make bowls for turkeys, and how to build a turkey hen with your own hands.
We advise you to read about what breeds of turkeys can be bred at home, how to achieve high productivity of turkeys, how much turkeys and adult turkeys weigh, how to distinguish a turkey from a turkey, as well as how to improve turkey egg production.
Did you know? If a turkey lifts its head up during a heavy shower, it can choke because of the special structure of the respiratory system.
Preventive measures
Timely implementation of preventive measures reduces the likelihood of being infected with many diseases that can cause poults to fall on their feet. 
Growing chicks, do not forget about the following rules:
- free space for walking and keeping young. Physical activity, especially in the open air, helps turkeys train their limbs. It should also be noted that vitamin D, contained in sunlight, has a beneficial effect on the bone system of birds, thereby strengthening it;
- balanced diet. A variety of foods, vitamin and mineral supplements, as well as free access to clean water - these are the main reasons for the strong immune system of young and rapid weight gain. Remember that sorting out any foods is just as harmful as lacking them in the diet;
Important! In modern veterinary medicine there are many vaccines designed to form a strong immunity to many causative agents of dangerous diseases. If a large number of birds live in your house, annual vaccinations and regular check-ups at the vet are mandatory.
- frequent bedding change. In wet litter, where there may be food remnants and feces of turkey poults mixed up, multiplication of pathogens will begin rather quickly, which will attack the immature immunity of the chick. Regularly replace the litter with a dry and clean litter, and also pay attention so that it does not have sharp branches and objects that can cut the feet of the young. Numerous micro-cuts can also cause leg swelling, causing lameness and the unwillingness of the bird to move around;
- regular disinfection premises will help you get rid of many causative agents of dangerous diseases of domestic birds.
Video: Curving turkey legs at 4 months
Poultry farmers reviews
I had one such one. This is exactly because of the broodstock, if you knew before you could pobombit vitamins and the chance is small. I kept it until the last weight gain was good and then just suddenly died. Just think that in them what the ear has to eat, better zarubite. the wings of these are all in hymotomas because when they move, they help with wings and beat everything that comes along.
Santa Claus
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It's no secret that disease prevention is always easier and cheaper than the treatment itself. In order for your birds to delight you with delicious meat and not be ill, pay a little attention to preventive measures in the poultry house.
