are toms really mean?

[VerlonCox]

I agree with Turkey Guru on this, I LIKE my turkeys but I am never overly friendly with them. I have never made one a "pet" and I dont recommend others to either. I think that the reason I haven't ever been attacked (knock on wood) is that they aren't scared of me but they know better then to mistake me as an equal. Plus they might have seen me "process" a few of their cousins and such. After the initial attack I will guarantee you that he/she would end up in the oven, I wouldn't care if it was my most beautiful tom.
Getting back to the protein level Dust bunny, I think that you did exactly what I would have done if I would have taken the BBB. I would have given her something pretty low in protein but with my others I feed them more protein then the recommended 28 percent because I think that they fill out into nicer birds later on. I guess in my mind the bigger that I can get them as poults the better off they are, but you have to walk a fine line and not get them too heavy. I am a lot different then most though and maybe its just my experiences though. For instance, and it may just be coincidence, but when I breed pure bloods (bourbon reds, blue slates, bronze (unimproved), royal palm) to other like birds it seems like I run into more problems with health and such (the public wants pure bloods). BUT when I get mixed breed poults they just seem to be more self sufficient and have better health. In my mind its the same reason that you try to avoid registered boer goats and stuff. There is a reason all of those old timers are crossing those goats, its for health. I would like to see if there are others out there that have the same thoughts. Like I said, it may just be my experiences in the past playing some part in this. Luck of the draw if you will.

 

[cayuga26]

That’s an interesting observation. I think you have a very good point there about the crossing. Really when it comes to poultry there is no such thing as “purebred” and I hope the day NEVER comes where birds are registered. I strongly feel that will ruin virtually every breed.

But adding blood from a similar breed may be a good thing and with carful selection of breeders may help improve many of the rare breeds. It is always a case of use your best and breed towards the standard with that in mind who cares if some “other” blood gets into your birds a good breeder can still win at shows though carful selection, and for someone using there birds (or other animals for that matter) for utility purposes if they breed to the standard they can only improve what they have. That being said a lot of “registered or purebred” stock can defiantly help the overall condition of your livestock.

Hybridization seems to be something that people don’t understand very well. Crossing unrelated lines (breeds whatever) does create hybrid vigour but just randomly crossing animals generally removes the qualities we created in them after a few generations (if you don’t select for anything).

Plus the perk with poultry is that if the cross doesn’t work you get a tasty meal in return! lol

 

[turkey guru]

all your large eating animails, chickens,turkeys,cows,pigs, are all hybreds ( crossed) they grow the fastest and have the least trouble! they are healther, they gain faster! very few feed lots have pruebreeds all crosses ,hybreds so your right dude TOM111

 

[cheeps]

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We rednecks find all sorts of entertainment, don't we??

 

[Dust Bunny]

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seems to me that the aggression is less of a turkey thing and more of a male thing, most males become aggressive upon sexual maturity, including humans, and wild animals are well, just that.....wild. i think you may have misunderstood me when i said my turkeys would be pets, its not like i will be putting baby clothes on them and spend my days endlessly stroking and kissing them, i do respect their nature, what i meant by "pets" is that i wont be eating them, and that i will enjoy having them around (tho i must concede that i do like to cuddle the babies, just cant help it, them being so cute and all) i just don't think that makes me foolish but that's my opinion, i mean after all i did ask for help and advise didn't i? i do appreciate and thank you and the others for the good advise especially regarding small children, its something i very much took to heart and my birds will be contained should company come over and if i had children, which i don't, I'm not even sure i would have a roo runnin around as they can be stinkers too (that male thing again) the one thing i could really use is to know the difference between harmless display and overt aggression and how to appropriately deal with aggressive behavior as to not reinforce it or be unreasonably harsh, i do tend to take a more hands off approach with my birds as they mature in part because they don't seen to like being pawed at and because it's just much more enjoyable to simply watch them do their thing, similar to watching fish i think.

 

[turkey guru]

first I don't think you foolish, you can love your animails any way you want! hold em, kiss them whatever! I just want you to know they can be mean!! well not really mean just being a turkey!! tom