Femoral fractures in a young male turkey breeder flock

Twenty-two 32-to-35-wk-old male turkeys from a commercial breeding flock we re presented to the California Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System, Fre sno Branch, with a clinical complaint of lameness and increased mortality. Necropsy findings included a unilateral, closed oblique fracture involving the femur in 12 birds. Ten complete femoral fractures had periosteal new bo ne adjacent to and bridging the fracture. Periosteal callus formation, in t his case, suggested that preexisting lesions preceded complete fracture of the femur. Factors such as selection for heavy body weight, lack of exercis e, and handling might have contributed to the development and promotion of complete fractures.