Mutant Turkey Foot

VenaticOppidan

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 10, 2019
Messages
154
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
Alright my Turkey Aficionados, what could cause a turkey to have feet like this? I have only started turkey hunting 4 years ago, and have been doing well (i think anyway) 5/5 with 3 Toms and 2 Jakes. Anyway, I am no subject matter expert. I called this Tom in yesterday morning in PA (20lb, 9" beard, 1.25" spurs). The Turkey looked great and I am super happy, but when I got to the bird I noticed his feet were extremely odd. Both of them. Identical in shape. None of the other birds I shot looked this way Attached are some pictures.

Have any of you seen anything like this or know what causes it? just a birth defect?

feet.jpg
foot2.jpg
spurs.jpg
Turkey.jpg
turkey2.jpg
 

hobbes

WKR
Joined
Jun 6, 2012
Messages
2,409
I've killed a few that had single toes like that but never all of them. It doesn't look like a birth defect to me because it looks like some sort of trauma. It's a full on guess but I wonder if frostbite got them.
 

hobbes

WKR
Joined
Jun 6, 2012
Messages
2,409
Then again, it could be a birth defect and the "trauma" could be from scratching for food without the claws/nails that most turkeys have.
 

sram9102

WKR
Joined
Oct 31, 2018
Messages
998
Location
IN
Looks like frost bite. I've had chickens in that past end up looking like that.
 
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VenaticOppidan

VenaticOppidan

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 10, 2019
Messages
154
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
very cool guys, thanks for the responses. Both feet essentially looked identical. I emailed the Turkey Doc, so we will see if he gets back to me.
 

lyingflatlander

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 25, 2017
Messages
251
Location
Wisconsin
Had a Tom with it a few years ago up in the U.P. In Michigan. Saw him one day then dead the next, figured a coyote caught him. His feet looked the same and figured it was frostbite. I wouldn’t be shocked if frostbite was a precursor to staph infection. Very interesting and Thanks!
 
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