Studies on the Enlarged Hock Disorder in Turkeys

A RECENT report from this laboratory (Scott, 1950) described a leg weakness in young turkeys which appears to result from the lack of an unknown nutrient, or nutrients, in the diet. This disorder, which does not appear to be identical with typical perosis, is characterized by an enlargement of the tibiometatarsal joint (hock) at approximately 2 weeks of age, which usually returns to normal at approximately 4 weeks of age, only to recur in more severe form as the turkeys reach 14 to 16 weeks of age. The condition of the hocks in poults suffering from typical perosis is presented in Figure 1. The poults shown in this photograph received a diet deficient in choline (i.e., containing approximately one-half the level of choline recommended for turkeys by the National Research Council). This picture is presented to show the contrast between typical perosis and the enlarged hock condition which is shown in . . .