A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[Crazydoglady99]

Funny bunch you are!

Is over-bonding with ones Turkey poults a problem with hens? Or just a BIGGER problem with Tom's?

 

[CindyinSD]

From what I read here, it’s only a problem if the turkey turns out to be a “bellybutton.”

 

[R2elk]

Funny bunch you are!

Is over-bonding with ones Turkey poults a problem with hens? Or just a BIGGER problem with Tom's?

It can be a problem with both. Turkeys can become very friendly if you bond with them when they are older. If you imprint them when they are poults, they lose the ability to understand that people are not turkeys.

 

[CindyinSD]

It can be a problem with both. Turkeys can become very friendly if you bond with them when they are older. If you imprint them when they are poults, they lose the ability to understand that people are not turkeys.

So what’s the best way to deal with poults, since I’ll be getting sixteen of them on May 11? Not sure I can tell the girls from the boys until they get their breast feathers... I didn’t bother my chicken chicks much because I’d always been told too much handling would hurt them... but now they’re big, it’s really tricky to catch them. On the plus side, at least I haven’t conditioned them to ignore dark presences soaring above them...

I’m not interested in having huge toms thinking I’m part of the flock, but I would like to be able to catch the birds when I need to, without using a casting net.

 

[memphis]

Cindy....one thing is to just hang out with them. Let them get used to you being around. I never tried picking them up or petting them. They eventually decided to hang out on the arm of my chair. I petted them when they approached me. Wasnt too long till they decided my lap is a great spot for a nap. They decided following me around while gardening was great fun. That led to our walks in the neighborhood. I started using their names and sort of like training a dog they got a treat, some BOSS. when they responded to their names. Now they will come when I call them. They also respond to certain other words. "Let's go".... they come running. It's either coop time or walk time. But they seem to know something is up. When I ask them "What are you doing"... they usually trill back to me. I think it's a matter of consistency and using simple words.

 

[memphis]

As far as the poults....just sit out there with them. Let them make the first moves. They are so nosey they'll be all over you like cheap feathers suits.

 

[Crazydoglady99]

Thanks R2! I feel like you should get royalties on all the excellent info your giving out.

In all the books I read, and random stuff I googled, I never learnt anything about some of these behaviours

 

[PolarBerry]

Fingers crossed the new poult integrates ok into the flock. She’s like 3-4 months old and felt bad with her being stuck 24/7 in a crate so introduced them by opening her crate after dark and put her on the roost. Sooo hope it goes ok. She’s almost the same size. I put a bunch of hiding spots too and will check on them at sunrise.

 

[R2elk]

So what’s the best way to deal with poults, since I’ll be getting sixteen of them on May 11? Not sure I can tell the girls from the boys until they get their breast feathers... I didn’t bother my chicken chicks much because I’d always been told too much handling would hurt them... but now they’re big, it’s really tricky to catch them. On the plus side, at least I haven’t conditioned them to ignore dark presences soaring above them...

I’m not interested in having huge toms thinking I’m part of the flock, but I would like to be able to catch the birds when I need to, without using a casting net.

With my poults I put them in a brooder with sand as the bedding. I sprinkle turkey starter on top of the sand in addition to keeping a full feeder in the brooder. I dip each individual poult's beak in the water fount and that is the last time I touch any of the poults until I remove them from the brooder. I check on them several times daily as well as keeping their feeder and waterer full. I never catch any or try to have any of them come to me unless it is to remove them from the brooder to go to their new home.

Catching them when needed is different for everyone and different for their age. In my case, I start teaching my turkeys to be herded at a young age. When I want to catch a particular one or more, I herd them into the grow out pen which is about 8'x12' and catch them in there.

Other people can use the treat method where you get them to come to you for treats.

 

[R2elk]

Fingers crossed the new poult integrates ok into the flock. She’s like 3-4 months old and felt bad with her being stuck 24/7 in a crate so introduced them by opening her crate after dark and put her on the roost. Sooo hope it goes ok. She’s almost the same size. I put a bunch of hiding spots too and will check on them at sunrise.

I never use the after dark method for introductions. Mine are typically visible to the others through a wire fence for weeks before introduction. I always stand quietly by after allowing the new ones in with the older ones and watch the interactions in case any intervention is needed.

I also never use the stick a poult under a turkey hen at night method. If I have poults that I want a turkey hen to adopt, I place the hen in a room with the poults and let her decide if she wants to adopt them. If the hen wants to adopt the poults, she will coo and plead with them or she will just round them all up in a group and take charge of them. If she isn't going to adopt them, her actions are different and she may even give them a bonk on their heads. In those cases it doesn't take long to find out and I quickly remove an unaccepting hen.