How to Cure Curled Toe Paralysis in Poultry & A Study of Riboflavin Deficiency in Quail

In my previous article on this subject, I looked at the identification of vitamin B2 deficiency, which not only mimics some fataldiseases but which, ironically can be just as dangerous to the bird but conversely very easily cured. In this post I am going to look at what to do to effect a cure. If you have just landed on this article and are not sure if this is a problem in your flock, you might want to go back to my identification article and read through it first. The link is here: Riboflavin deficiency identification

organically raised quail with mother hen

For my 'field study', I am using the example of quail chicks, from non-organic purchased hatching eggs because this is the area in which, sadly I have a great deal of experience with deficiencies of all kinds but in particular, the B complex vitamins.  I have however treated riboflavin deficiencies in hen chicks for neighbours and friends and the treatment and outcome are the same. However, in the delivery of the treatment with very small quail chicks, who are precocial, thus a great deal more independent than hen chicks, it is often useful to resort to subterfuge! Quail chicks are also obviously much smaller and thus any sort of treatment at this stage of development is a lot trickier, however as you will see, there are solutions.

Preparing to treat


administering coconut oil to a quail chick
The other thing to note with quail chicks (and with baby pigeons too), is that they are very susceptible to cold, particularly if they have been immobile, away from the parent and thus losing body heat. It is most important to get the chick ready for treatment by firstly getting its body temperature up, otherwise its system will have begun to 'close down' and the chick will have become less responsive and thus more difficult to treat. In a cold state you risk the problem of the chick not understanding what is expected of it, when presenting it with food and/or physically being unable to swallow and thus choking. So even if you are dealing with a hen chick, make sure the bird is 'up to temperature' and also that when and where you treat, the ambient temperature is sufficient. On a further note, do not over-heat the chick or this will make it sleepy and you will have similar problems! With a hen chick, who is with a mother hen and thus bonded to her, you should make sure that the chick is not stressed by being removed. If it is exhibiting symptoms of anxiety, then get a hay-lined cardboard box or similar receptacle and bring the hen and whole family in together to be there at the treatment. That way your chick will be aware of the Mother and she of it and you have a greater chance of effecting a complete cure. If this is too much to accomplish, then bring in at least one other sibling, to give some sense of comfort. At times of high anxiety, the body draws heavily on essential nutrients and as the B vitamins are some of the foremost requirements for the functioning of the nervous system, it is self-defeating to be administering vitamins which will immediately be lost to stress.

Above all, if possible, treat in the morning when the bird is hungry!

The Treatment - Nutritherapy


It is of tantamount importance to get B2 riboflavin into the bird's body as quickly and easily as possible and for this reason I am looking at foods that are both high in the vitamin and highly palatable to the bird.

A foreword about yeast flakes


cure riboflavin deficiency in poultry
Several people have asked me what I mean by yeast flakes as there is some confusion over a product called something along the lines of; 'fortified yeast flakes'. This is sold as a health supplement for vegans and is often, though not always, fortified with a synthetic cheap form of the B12 vitamin known as cyanocobalamin. Personally I would not under any circumstances be feeding this to a bird. You can tell from the prefix what this cobalamin contains but apart from that, any synthetic vitamin needs to be converted by the body to the natural form, to my mind this is not only pointless but also puts additional strain on a weakened chick. Furthermore, the bird's system can not convert synthetics in totality. Thus the bird will be left with chemical residues, which may be impossible to detox or cause an additional load to the bird's system to remove. It is also interesting to note that one of the richest sources for cyanocobalamin is activated sewage sludge. So when I mention yeast flakes as a treatment for riboflavin deficiency, I mean just that; flakes of yeast, which I buy from a bulk dispenser in my local organic shop. If you can't get pure organic yeast flakes, then with any other 'yeast flakes' I would check the packet for ingredients and additives.

As an alternative to yeast flakes the other highest form of B2, is in raw beef liver, organic beef liver is not pricey and the amount you need is very small. I always keep some in the freezer, ready to use in an emergency, although we eat it anyway. I would never advise using non-organic offal, the liver is effectively part of the body's waste disposal system, all pesticide and other toxic residues, not only pass through it but can be stored therein.

Other useful sources of B2 are;
  • oily fish, such as mackerel
  • hard boiled egg
  • invertebrates (so having a compost heap is a great source)
  • raw milk cheeses, such as Camembert
  • Kale
  • almonds
  • sesame seeds

cure curled toe paralysis in poultry with nutrition












If one of your chicks exhibits riboflavin deficiency and you have had all your hatching eggs from the same source, it is a good idea to give them all some extra B complex rich foods, chances are they may all be deficient.

 

Administering yeast flakes 


Although yeast flakes have quite a strong smell and thus taste, most birds seem to love them but there is always an exception. Another thing to take into consideration is, that when you are feeling weak or ill, it is often easier to drink rather than eat. Yeast flakes are water soluble, so mixing them with a liquid (including the highly nutritious organic raw virgin coconut oil) and getting the bird to sip it from a spoon may be easier (with one or two exceptions, as you will see in the film).  My technique for getting a bird to drink is to introduce the tip of its beak to the liquid and to stroke the back of its head.


The Gourmet Fly


I have rarely found a quail chick who will not go crazy for a fly, so coating it in yeast flakes, like a breaded fish can sometimes be a useful ruse for a chick who turns its beak up at the raw flakes.


Covering all Contingencies


As with all deficiencies they tend to come in multiples and many leg and foot problems can also be traced to deficiencies in;

Selenium


This is something that is needed in very small amounts but without it the bird can become crippled and die. The very best way to get selenium into a bird is the Brazil nut and as selenium is toxic in large amounts and as the recommended allowance for Brazil nuts is around three per day for a human, the dosage for a quail chick is tiny. I usually just take one or two fine gratings from the end of the nut and add it to my yeast flakes.

You can also get selenium as a transdermal spray! I have found this an ideal delivery to treat the small chicks belonging to my neighbours and friends, the former have no bond with me, so it is quick and a lot less stressful for them.

Cobalamin - Vitamin B12 - the DNA Big Hitter


B12 deficiency is in epidemic proportions in the human population and  amongst poultry and other livestock. The symptoms are so various that in any form of weakness in a bird, I would always be wanting to supplement this. It can only be found in animal protein, and only good quality to boot;
  • Invertebrate wild protein from the compost heap is the tops but if this is not an option then 
  • raw beef liver, 
  • fish, 
  • shellfish,
  • egg.  

Folate - Vitamin B9

This vitamin works in synergy with B12, so it is necessary to feed both and here again, do not be confused with folic acid which is a synthetic vitamin and which actually depletes B12. The media, dictionaries, the internet and even health professionals use folate and folic acid as if they are the same, they are not! Folate can be found in a variety of leafy vegetables/vegetation;
  • broccoli
  • turnip greens
  • moss
  • meadow pasture
  • cauliflower
  • bok choi
  • lettuce

The Inuit, who traditionally have no access to fresh vegetables, do not have folate deficiency, which is a great illustration of the maxim that you are not only what you eat but what you eat eats. Caribou, which form a major part of the Inuit diet, live on sphagnum moss, which is a great source of folate, so by consuming the liver, where it is stored, the Inuit make up their requirement.
..and now if you'd like to, sit back and watch the film




Thanks for dropping by and do feel free to share experiences or ask for further information in the comment section. If you have enjoyed this piece and found it useful think about sharing it with your family and friends, on social media and also maybe about joining this blog and/or subscribing to my YoutubeOdysee  or BitChute Channel or even supporting us on Patreon or

It all helps to keep me going!


Until next time, all the very best from sunny Normandie! 

Sue

RELATED POSTS

Identification of riboflavin deficiency in purchased quail and hatching eggs

Quail have a high basal metabolic rate and as such their problems with nutrition are dramatically and rapidly revealed...read more



Common Nutritional Deficiencies in Quail, Game-birds & Poultry

Many nutritional deficiencies in chicks are in fact due to gaps in parental diet, which impact directly upon the quality of the embryo's nutrition and therefore start within the shell..read more 

Emergency Treatment, Follow-ups and Keeping Calm

The great thing about this emergency treatment is that it is concocted from simple foodstuffs you probably have to hand in your kitchen cupboards...read more


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© 2016 Sue Cross

19 comments:

  1. Hi Sue! I talked with you on google+ about Ferris and Jeanie, and although Jeanie passed away, Ferris is doing very well! He turned out to be a boy, and I will be getting some adult female quail for him to have as companions soon. He lives outside now in a chicken coop with a run, so he can scratch around. I do not have the time to let him have supervised free range all that often, but he loves it when I do. Thank you for all your advice,
    All the best,
    -Amelia

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    1. Hi Amelia, Aaww I'm sorry you lost Jeanie but it's great that Ferris is doing so well and also that you are able to free-range him now and again. I have had several conversations lately over this idea that Coturnix quail are monogamous, so maybe you will only need to get one female and he will pair off and they will start nesting? Mine have all come into lay but I am hoping to get some silver quail hatching eggs from the man who came to check the new EEC regulation sewage system - believe it or not! He turned out to be not only a quail keeper but one who raises them in a more natural way than most people here. Keep me posted on Ferris and re advice, you are very welcome. All the very best, Sue

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  2. Thank you for sharing your experience! We've just hatched 13 California quail chicks in an incubator (2 eggs left--fingers crossed), ranging from 0-3 days old, with the hope of creating a natural outdoor habitat for them in our backyard. They all seem healthy and energetic, but one of them has a single crooked toe. Could this be a riboflavin deficiency curled toe, even though it's only one? Since hatching, I've been giving them a mix of game bird starter, crushed mealworms, boiled egg, ground flax and chia seeds and oats, and an assortment of greens and veggies. The flooring is pine shavings with paper towels on top for frequent changing. Should I splint the crooked toe? I'm afraid to accidentally hurt its teeny tiny foot.

    Also, what is the best way to bond with quail chicks? I try to sit with them as much of the day as possible, occasionally put my hand in the brooder, or hold one for half a minute. I am afraid to hold them for too long in case I traumatize them or they need the heater. They seem to become shier day by day, though they also tend to cry more loudly if I step away (not sure if they miss me or just grow bolder without the scary human nearby).

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    1. Hi there, I am so sorry I only just found your comment. Blogger changed a whole loads of things last year and we were not getting notified of any comments. Sadly I only just cottoned on to this in January but then I only received comment notification for a couple of weeks and then only of the most recent ones and then it stopped again! Anyway I do hope your quail were OK, I would be always be wary of crooked toes, however you have them on a good diet although I might think of upping the ration of egg and invertebrate protein and lowering the grain, particularly as it is dry and not sprouted. Dried grain has a high level of phytic acid and that can prevent the uptake of vitamins from the rest of the food. Dry grain also chelates vitamin A, which is why those that like white fat on their meat feed grain to grass-fed (yellow fat) cattle. Aside from this crooked toes are also an indication of in-breeding. It's just a tiny defect but you should get in another bloodline (from at least 100 kilometres away from where you live) to ensure a different strain, when you start to breed from them. It's a sort of ball-park figure that birds within 100km are likely to be from the same 'local' stock. You can try splinting the toe if you feel it is broken, but often this is difficult in a small bird and quail are exceedingly active!

      With regards to bonding, holding a chick and talking to it and hand feeding is good but essentially, in my experience quail need high levels of invertebrate protein to provide them with the essential B vitamins and amino acids which support and maintain an optimum nervous system. If they are shouting at you then chances are they are actually 'asking for food'. Mine tend to shout for me to bring a bucket of compost with all the invertebrates, they instinctively know when they are lacking in essential food stuffs. Mine also get nervous and 'stroppy' with each other if for any reason they don't get invertebrate protein (i.e when I go away on holiday and thus no one goes to the compost for them). Many poultry behaviours are altered by diet and if you want even-tempered and friendly quail, then in my experience the correct 'quail paleo' nutrition is key and when combined with a good environment, as you have planned, you have the chance at a truly happy and healthy and self-perpetuating flock! All the very best from Normandie and so sorry about not finding your question until now. For future reference if you have a question, post it on my Youtube channel, I get instant notification and I will reply asap, actually instantly (allowing for time-differences) if it is an emergency or health question, Sue

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  3. Ciao Pawlovafowl,
    one adult, female of my quails was hit by this toe paralysis, I have read on the web that could be the Marek virus,they said it's very infective,,,,I'm desperate for my flock, on yesterday I started your treatment (as you suggested) with cricket I bought from insects farm and this evening we start with liver
    I'm very worried, I keep them as pets, to get few eggs,,, this is my last chance I hope will works,,
    Thank you , pardon my english

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  4. The Unknown at 14,29 is Carlo
    not familiar with social network
    Ciao grazie

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    1. Ciao Pawlovafowl, good evening, there is a good news
      I want to share with you all that this afternoon my sick adult female quail seems healed, she walks, not well, but enough for me,,,,
      I gave her some crickets, tenebrio molitors, soluble B-complex, and Reiki and Pranic Healing energy everyday, and these works
      Well I'm very happy, thank you, grazie grazie

      Carlo

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    2. Ciao Carlo, I am so sorry that I was never informed of your comment by Blogger and have only just found it! I am so happy you had a positive outcome. Funnily enough your case totally mirrors that of the original case study I ready 20 year ago on a man who was being forced by his neighbours to kill his birds because they said the birds had Marek's and he took no notice, did some research and cured them all with beef liver! I love that story because It so illustrates the power of critical thought and good food! I am so happy for you! Ti auguro tutto il meglio dalla Francia e il tuo inglese è molto meglio del mio italiano, anche se mio nonno ha vissuto lì per diversi anni e ha sempre cercato di insegnarmi la lingua! Sue

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  5. Hi Sue, thanks so very much for this blog! I am giving a chick of nearly 9 weeks old, some wild game liver. Would like to ask how long do you think it could take for recovery please ... I know it must differ for each individual, and am worried I have left it for far too long in treating her! I only really noticed last week, as before this she was just sitting down quite a lot, and I did notice she looked a little awkward when I was picking her up, and a little off balance. I asked on a chicken discussion fb page and that's when I found your blog online... not come across crooked toes BF! The little one ate quite a lot of liver last night, but I found it very frustrating this morning as she doesn't seem interested... the other little ones devour it!

    I have some molasses, would that help do you think? Also, should I specifically be buying organic beef liver, or is wild game ok? We have also bandaged her feet with a thin piece of cardboard, to try and keep her toes spread, so hope that helps too, however she seems to want to sit a lot, and quickly gets sleepy. Just hope I haven't left things too late!!

    BW Kirsty

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    1. Hi Kirsty, I am really sorry not to reply sooner but Blogger do not inform me of comments for some reason - except now and then and sadly yours didn't get sent to me. I do hope everything is OK but it takes just a few hours or 24/48 depending on the case. If she isn't paralysed already and just has the curled toes then you are at the start of the condition, so don't worry. Even so I have had terrible cases of paralysis in commercial quail chicks and they have been cured too. You also need to be aware if there are external stress triggers too which, as B Vitamins are water soluble can end up with all your good nutrient flushed, so that is something to consider. Liver is difficult - it is the taste, so you might try putting butter or coconut oil on it to disguise it. That said all birds are individuals and some love it as you have found out. Coconut oil will also give her an immediate energy boost, so that will help too. A little molasses in water for an electrolyte (stress remedy) will help! Wild game, as long as it hasn't been raised and then let go for hunting, will be great probably even better because of the variety of paleo foods game eat. The problem with the liver is that it is a sieve/sponge soaking up and sifting all the toxins that come into the body, so that's why organic, wild or don't use it. Sorry if you know all this already but it's worth repeating because if you look how wild animals/birds eat, they consume offal rather than the 'meat' we humans seem to think as the best! Again sorry to be late but if you have an emergency and think I might help then contact me via YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/Pavlovafowl and it doesn't matter if it's off topic - leave it on my latest video because they are usually really good at sending me notification of comments on new videos but even leaving it on the relevant film (if there is one) should reach me asap. I'm in France so there can be a time difference but questions on injuries or health I will reply to immediately because I know what it is like to have so little information on alternatives - at least there are more now. I have no social media except YouTube and this blog but sometimes people kindly share my stuff on other platforms, so you might find some of my work on facebook from time to time. All the very best and I will check back here to see if there are comments from now on - it so annoys me that Blogger changes everything. They are about to roll out a completely new format, so lets hope it includes changes to notification on comments! Sue

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  6. Hi Sue

    Thank you so much for your reply! And no problem, I have been checking back to see if you may have left a response, and I forgot to check yesterday and until recently today doh! It is encouraging to know that some quail have recovered after paralysis, as I think that is what is happening with our little one, I'm afraid! I admit, that I stopped using the tape and thin cardboard for her feet as thought it hindered her even more, but please would you let me know if you have done this, or/and you would recommend, as well as the B2 supplements? I am afraid that she will not revert back to normal or normal-ish behaviour due to the severity of how she holds herself (one foot most of the time is flat, and normal but the other is severely crooked, along with a lot of time on her "knee" joint as it were, and sitting down a lot)! Because it basically failed regarding the liver, even with coconut oil and mollasses, I have ordered a tub of organic yeast flakes, which should arrive tomorrow, so I do hope this will help her, and I will continue giving her a little coconut oil, as from one of your previous videos, showing one of your pekin roosters, after having a bust up with his brother, as I recall, you fed him the oil as well as treating him with it ... that was one of many great tips I got from you, following you on Pavlovafowl! :-)

    What I have also done, and I do hope this is not detrimental, because, and I totally understand this, that the more natural and simple food we, as well as other animals, consume, the less stress there is for the body, especially when it is coping with illness and disability! I have taken the chicks off the growers pellets, and they are now just on fermented and sprouted wheat, pre-soaked lentils, fermented and sprouted black sunflower seeds, some fresh herbs, diatomatious earth, brewers yeast, dried herbs and spices, and diluted ACV (with the Mother, and infused with crushed fresh herbs and garlic). As well as this, they have a nice lush grassy and a little wild flower garden space, along with a large compost heap. Please would you tell me if this is enough, and what else I need to feed them if it is not?

    I am warmed by how the little one's siblings do not bother her, and certainly no picking on her, and they dustbathe with her ... I see her sometimes doing this which lifts my spirits a little, as she does look quite pathetic the poor thing! What I wonder, is that Roddy our boy and the lemon pekin we have (also have a poland girl and a silkie girl ... was watching your video earlier, with the silkie boy ... lovely video and glad all is well with him) has produced this little one (I added 6 eggs that were posted and added 3 of our eggs in case the others weren't viable due to the postal system) as she has a tiny comb, where of course polands and silkies do not (the lady who I got the 6 eggs from only has sizzles and polands. I can only think that maybe the condition is inherent through Roddy or the pekin girl, as they are absolutely fine health-wise, and also, I feel I have always given them the above things mentioned, along with the layers pellets, so hope it's nothing to do with the feed.

    Thank you again for your help in advance. It is much appreciated!

    Best wishes, Kirsty

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    1. Hi Kirsty, Great to hear back from you and thanks for your kind words! Your feeding regime sounds really good and yes taking her off the pellets was a very good idea because I'm guessing they are made of dry whole grain and this would contain an amount of phytic acid which would prevent the uptake of essential vitamins. I would also think about Vitamin B12, so some invertebrate protein or a hard boiled egg (which is a great all round food). I would not use vitamins in supplement form unless they were guaranteed 100% natural, as so many are synthetic and then the body needs to convert those back to the natural form. This is never a 100% conversion and leaves a residue in the body but also the conversion puts extra stress on the bird. I would do it all through food. The other thing that this could be as well - as there is so much still unknown synergy going on with essential nutrients is selenium and niacin deficiency. Selenium you can get from Brazil nuts but it needs to be a tiny amount just a few curls from the end of the nut. Brazil nuts are high in selenium and selenium is toxic if taken to excess. The maximum amount a human is supposed to eat in a day is three Brazil nuts, so you can see - just a very little is enough for a chick. Another easy way to deliver selenium and this is where I do use a supplement, is transdermally and I have selenium spray I was given by my local organic shop, which works well. Niacin, you guessed it - the number one source is liver - it is such a shame she isn't eating that but if you can get even a tiny piece of wild salmon or the chicken's superfood - some ant eggs. In fact ant eggs are an excellent source of many of the B complex vitamins.
      Curcumin works wonders for what might seem like permanent nerve damage in fact is one of the few substances that is known to repair neurones, so I usually take a little turmeric powder on the end of a teaspoon and then add enough coconut oil to almost fill the spoon and then give it as a drink. If that seems not to work but I will give you a link to a video showing how to get a bird to drink, then you can roll a piece of solid coconut oil in turmeric powder (like a truffle) and just pop it in the beak. To get a bird to drink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR8I_UbK0VA at 2.14 minutes (this is a pigeon so it drinks in a different way to a hen - sorry if you know this already) - so you only need to rest the very tip of the chick's beak in the liquid. It is difficult to ascertain why certain birds become nutrient deficient. All birds are individuals, so some are naturally more stressed than others and some have different tastes in food and some are more reticent at meal times. The hierarchies of birds is so complex and also fluid, so that a bird can become deficient in nutrient just through a perception of where she is in the pecking order. The trick is, as you have done, to identify when there is a problem and remedy it. Hope this is of use but I would also take a look at this article there is a film too included at the end: https://holistic-hen.blogspot.com/2020/01/wry-necktorticollis-part-2-nutritional.html#.Xzrs-Xcv6V5 This is a detailed nutritional breakdown of all the foods I used for wry neck which is a similar nutrient deficiency, nervous system condition. Hope all this is of use and give you little chick a Big Hug from me because that is a major part of any treatment. All the very best, Sue

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  7. Hi Sue

    Thanks so very much again for taking your time to give me this invaluable information! I forgot to mention, that I'm feeding the little one, as well as her siblings, hard boiled egg, first thing in the morning, and as soon as I receive the organic yeast flakes, will give them that too, mixed in with the coconut oil and tumeric (we have turmeric and ginger powder, and other spices that I add to their daily feed anyhow). I am looking again to try and grow organic tumeric and ginger, but only have our guinea pig room available for this lol! I have also given our adopted/rescue chooks and turkeys scrambled eggs a couple of times a week and didn't think to find out the difference in nutrients, with the way you cook it!

    Would you make booties for the little one or not please? Have you ever done this for the quail, even for the severely paralysed ones?

    The Poland girl we have, who is now nearly 2 years old had severe wry neck, and she fully recovered after a few weeks of adding tumeric and ginger to her feed ... maybe she recovered on her own? I know it certainly didn't do any harm giving it to her :-)

    We have an abundance of nettles, as well as mint so am going to stop procrastinating and make it a ritual to pick them daily and let the nettles dry on some netting we have! Will give to our adopted piggies too :-) We have lavender, mint, sage and rosemary growing, and crush it, mixing it in with the daily feed.

    I'll certainly give the little one a cuddle from you :-} ... she was the first to allow me to cuddle her and was always jumping up and settling down on my lap when I regularly visited them with Mum. All the little ones are using me as a climbing frame, (my hubby has made one for them, that I have placed on a flat part of the compost heap for them to enjoy) and it seems to be a ritual each night, that they have to jump all over me, including trying to pull out my earrings and stomping on my head before bedtime! The little one, I can tell, is wanting to jump up too, bless her, but I cradle her and she calms down then.

    Best wishes, Kirsty

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  8. I'm very confused by what you mean as yeast flakes. Like the packages of yeast one would buy to make bread? Wouldn't that expand in the gut?

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    1. Hi there, the yeast is a strain called Saccharomyces cerevisiae, it is the same family of fungi as those used in brewing beer, and wine and bread making. However this latter is 'active' or living but nutritional yeast has been fed, then harvested dried and flaked - thus is 'inactive' basically dead. Nutritional yeast is also much more nutritious than its bread-making cousin hence it can be used to cure the above condition and others that are caused by deficiency. I can find it easily in my local organic shop but with the rise in its popularity for smoothies and such. it is now more widely available. I find my chickens and quail - even the chicks. really love it, which is strange because it has an unusual taste. It also needs to be kept dry because otherwise it takes in water from the atmosphere and then solidifies like a brick! So store in a cool dry place. Hope this explains and all the very best from Normandie, Sue

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    2. Thank you for clarifying. Makes sense now. Yes Nutritional yeast is at our local grocery store. I have a 3 month old turkey that has curly toe ( I think) it was really bad she could not walk at all. I was giving a pro-biotic vitamin supplement in her water, over about 3 weeks she made great improvements and could walk again but with a slight limp. Yesterday she took a turn for the worse. About a week ago I started letting her free range in a small garden space, she was poking at the dirt and grass and I think she was drinking straight water she found in the garden, and was getting less of the vitamin water.

      I will try the Nutritional Yeast tomorrow. How much should I try to give her she weighs 3 pounds or so.
      Sara

      Hopefully it is Curly Toe, not Mareks. But I think she would not have shown improvement if it was Mareks, plus I don't think turkeys are as susceptible as chickens.

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    3. Hi Sara,

      I've jotted down some thoughts below based on your reply above and I hope they will be of some use. Apologies if you know all this already but I love birds and always want to do my best to help them.

      When you use food to cure curled toe you get what should be a permanent cure within 48 hours and you will start to see improvement after 24 hours. With regards to quantity I would just sprinkle a teaspoon of the yeast in a tray and see what she wants, I find birds do know what they need to eat and how much. Yeast flakes are quite dry and flaky so you might think of mixing them with some leafy greens because they contain folate aka Vitamin B9 and are also needed for optimum health. Yeast flakes have a funny flavour but my birds really like them! She needs to get back on track because these deficiencies, if left unchecked, are eventually fatal and they are so easy to remedy and quickly.

      With regard to vtamin supplements, these are usually synthetic so the turkey's body has to convert them to the natural form before the turkey can even use them plus the bird is not capable of converting all the synthetic chemicals and thus a residue will remain in the body. Personally I would do this totally with foods and just by what you have written above, she may be better at the moment having raw organic beef liver because this is a super-food delivering all the nutrient she needs to get back to full health. It must be organically certified - unless you know of someone who raises cattle naturally and without any chemicals and/or medication. So if you can't get organic liver then use either an organically raised hard-boiled egg, or the yeast flakes - they should be organic too. Apart from being toxic to the body, pesticide, insecticide or fungicide will also impair the bird's ability to assimilate the B complex vitamins she needs.

      You are so right, turkeys do best free-ranging and as poults, they are led by the mother into areas rich in insect and other invertebrates and feed, like many omnivorous birds, almost exclusively on a protein diet until fully fledged. They will also eat small vertebrates. This therefore is why in captivity they often get deficiencies and if you only have a small space for your turkey to free-range and forage then maybe in the long-term think about raising some meal worms for her and/or set up a compost heap where she can also find her own food such as woodlice sow bugs earwigs etc.,.

      I was very lucky many years ago, when I first had curled toe paralysis in my commercial hatchery quail egg chicks to find an excellent comment written by a man who had been assured by his neighbours that his hens had Marek’s, they were wanting him to kill them - he actually had an inkling that this was a vitamin deficiency and he went out and bought a whole load of beef liver which he then fed to the flock, within 24 hours they all showed signs of improvement and within the 48 were cured. I have always wondered if that isn't what Marek's really is - chronic deficiency.

      I love turkeys! I have great memories of ours, 300 of them on the farm when I was a child. It was my job to call them in to feed them at night and to get them back to the orchard where they roosted in the apple trees. They were white and they free-ranged all over the farm and beyond! I hope to have some again when we move to a bigger space.

      Give your turkey a big hug from me and let me know how she is doing. All the very best, Sue xx

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    4. Hi Sue,
      Progress is slow, but she seemed more perky today and is eating a lot!

      Her symptoms started in early January. We found her flopping around on the ground when she was about 2 months old. She was a late hatch by one of my mama turkeys that had gone for round two of brooding in the late fall. The weather was severe shortly after her hatching. . . 15 degrees plus a cold north wind. I thought this was too cold for baby turkeys to be wandering the pasture, so I put her and mama in a chicken tractor on grass that we would move every day. Things were OK, but then we got 18" of snow for 2 weeks and there was no grass for them. It was about 10 days after that she came up lame.

      We brought her in the house and started her on a probiotic/vitamin supplement in the water. I didn't think she would make it, but my husband thought she seemed quite perky. It took a few weeks, but every day she seemed a little better. She started walking again, but with a limp. I started moving her out to the garden where she could eat grass and hunt for bugs. The turkey flock would cruise by and they'd whistle at each other. She was still a bit too wobbly to roost or defend herself, so I would turn her out to the garden during the day and bring her in at night. Then 4 days ago after being out in the garden and sun all day, she took a turn for the worse. Toes curled, legs crossed, has to flap her wings to drag herself around. But she is eating a drinking vigorously and her eyes are bright. We shall see. . . more to come.

      We do not have beef liver, but we just butchered a lamb, assuming that will suffice. So far she is not all that interested in liver or the nutritional yeast. But I did fry and egg and chop it up and put the yeast on it, she gobbled it up with a little grate of brazil nut. I'll try mixing a bit of the liver into the egg yolk tomorrow. I'm becoming a gourmet cook for turkeys. I've never spent this much time with a turkey before. She has a little pen next to the piano, she whistles along when I play.

      We raise heritage breed turkeys. They completely free range, we only give them a little barley and peas in the evening. They sleep in the trees and when they hatch their babes in the spring we just let them do their thing. I'm almost certain her issues are because I kept her and mama in a the chicken tractor. . . but I'm pretty sure she would not have made it past the first week with that severe weather otherwise.

      Thank you for your time.
      Sara

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    5. Hi Sara,

      You are welcome.

      It sounds as if you were caught between a rock and a hard place there and did the best because without you bringing her in she wouldn't have survived. These nutritional deficiencies creep up because as you know, it requires a huge amount of quality nutrient to grow the feathers, nervous system and the body in general. Coupled with that, at this time of year, she'll use a significant amount of food and thus energy just in keeping warm. I know it might seem frivolous but I have an article on here on making a coat (for an aged Frizzled rooster), which I actually based on a turkey saddle because he just couldn't function and was exhibiting the beginnings of cold stress. So if you want to put her out to get the air - it might be an option - it could start a whole new business in Turkey Couture! https://holistic-hen.blogspot.com/2015/11/caring-for-chickens-in-cold-weather.html#.VjdJwpdVKlM

      Lamb's liver is great because it is a purely pastured animal - I usually suggest organic beef because it is cheap - 3 Euros/kilo here, with lamb's at 24 Euros/kilo. Liver has just about everything in it she needs.

      I love the idea of your turkey whistling along to the piano - it also sounds like a winner of a video.

      I do hope everything progresses well - it should do and there should be no permanent effect. However, if you do suspect any nerve damage because she has had this for so long, then try a little grated turmeric or a little powder mixed in her food. The active ingredient curcumin is one of the few compounds that can actually restore/repair neurons. So there's another ingredient to add to your gourmet turkey repertoire.

      Hug to you all from Normandie, Sue xx

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