BackYard Chickens › BYC Forum › Other BackYard Poultry › Turkeys › turkey poult behaviors
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

turkey poult behaviors

post #1 of 5
5/6/07 at 2:11pm
Thread Starter 

As a newbie to poultry, I don't know if this behavior is normal or not.  I have 13 chickens of varying ages and 2 turkey poults of 3 weeks of age.  Yesterday, one of the turkeys kept pecking the head of the other, turning it around and seemingly square dancing with it.  It also tried to jump on top of it a couple of times.  I wish I had videoed it.  Is this normal?  They were st. runs, so I have no idea what sex they are.  They are broadbreasted bronze and almost as big as a full grown bantam chicken.

16 chickens, 17 ducks, 2 mini-Saanen goats, 2 dogs, 2 sons, and one incredible hubby!
Reply
16 chickens, 17 ducks, 2 mini-Saanen goats, 2 dogs, 2 sons, and one incredible hubby!
Reply

Featured Stories on BackYard Chickens

Why Join BackYard Chickens?
Have you ever wondered how a hen can lay an egg every day?
The Basics Of Raising Chickens - Raising Chickens 101
post #2 of 5
5/6/07 at 3:17pm

You have 2 Toms, this is normal.
Watch them close during bad weather they will pile real quick and start handling them to make them pets now or just let them go.
At 3 weeks they start there dominance thing.

Reply
Reply
post #3 of 5
5/6/07 at 4:08pm
Thread Starter 

Can you tell they're both toms just by that behavior?  Interesting.  Are there any physical differences that are apparent by this age?  I handle them all the time and they like to sit on my shoulders. They seem to get along well with the chickens.

Thanks for the reply.

16 chickens, 17 ducks, 2 mini-Saanen goats, 2 dogs, 2 sons, and one incredible hubby!
Reply
16 chickens, 17 ducks, 2 mini-Saanen goats, 2 dogs, 2 sons, and one incredible hubby!
Reply
post #4 of 5
5/8/07 at 12:35pm

It's a Pecking Order thing... like chickens.

         There is much to be learned from Beasts ~

  Prince Vlad ~
Reply
         There is much to be learned from Beasts ~

  Prince Vlad ~
Reply
post #5 of 5
3/4/12 at 11:00pm

I have a 6 day old turkey poult, named Agave, (the white one pictured here among the 1 day old chicks) who displayed the oddest behavior! It would try and "herd" the chicks around using one wing spread out and over the chicks. Then it would do its best to "fly" at one of the chicks and attempt to land on top of the chick with its breast, like it was trying to do a chest squish or something. The other poult I have, Maple, (you can see the top of his/her brown back at the bottom of the picture) would also do the "flying breast squish" to the chicks as well, but didn't do the "wing herding". No idea if they should sport that sort of behavior at that age, but it was so weird! No idea what it means either. My first turkey poults, so I have lots to learn still. 

poults.jpg

Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Turkeys

Featured Stories on BackYard Chickens

Why Join BackYard Chickens?
Have you ever wondered how a hen can lay an egg every day?
The Basics Of Raising Chickens - Raising Chickens 101
BackYard Chickens › BYC Forum › Other BackYard Poultry › Turkeys › turkey poult behaviors