Stressed out turkeys😔

[Callalilly Farms]

Hello everyone. I need some help with my blue slate couple Hiccup and Astrid. These two very special birds survived out of 15. They are almost a year old. I had a huge flock of hens that free range completely with my turkeys come on 5 acres everyone got along fine and then I noticed a change. And this is not my first time with turkeys however it is with this breed. The Tom started going after my dogs for no reasons but the worst part, about month ago I noticed that my hens were dying a very tragic death and didn't realize what it was from until I caught my blue slate hen red-handed. She literally was killing them off one by one. So I built a big run for my turkeys and they have been pacing the fence ever since. She is started laying eggs I gave her a safe space to create a nest which she has done. But all they do is pace. I'm concerned that it will conflict with breeding as I do have a homestead and I just don't know if anybody has any advice at all.

 

[R2elk]

Hello everyone. I need some help with my blue slate couple Hiccup and Astrid. These two very special birds survived out of 15. They are almost a year old. I had a huge flock of hens that free range completely with my turkeys come on 5 acres everyone got along fine and then I noticed a change. And this is not my first time with turkeys however it is with this breed. The Tom started going after my dogs for no reasons but the worst part, about month ago I noticed that my hens were dying a very tragic death and didn't realize what it was from until I caught my blue slate hen red-handed. She literally was killing them off one by one. So I built a big run for my turkeys and they have been pacing the fence ever since. She is started laying eggs I gave her a safe space to create a nest which she has done. But all they do is pace. I'm concerned that it will conflict with breeding as I do have a homestead and I just don't know if anybody has any advice at all.

What is the size of this "big" run.

 

[Callalilly Farms]

What is the size of this "big" run.

Like 50x25

 

[Callalilly Farms]

It's also in part of my wooded area with lots of brush so she can have her Nest as natural as she wants or she can go in the coop or her makeshift nest that I made her. She has many options. Right now literally at this moment, she's eating fruit but hiccup is just pacing and gobbling and walking with her and following her. I would love to let them out, but I just can't chance it

 

[R2elk]

It's also in part of my wooded area with lots of brush so she can have her Nest as natural as she wants or she can go in the coop or her makeshift nest that I made her. She has many options. Right now literally at this moment, she's eating fruit but hiccup is just pacing and gobbling and walking with her and following her. I would love to let them out, but I just can't chance it

Once she has a nest, he needs to not have access to the nest.

 

[Callalilly Farms]

Once she has a nest, he needs to not have access to the nest.

I've never separated my turkeys in the past and never had any issues. Are you saying I'll have issues because they're enclosed? My concern though is because of the stress I guess of putting them in a run she probably isn't going to nest. But I'm so afraid they're going to pace themselves to death.

 

[R2elk]

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To me that is on the small side. The run my turkeys have access to is 50' x100'. It has lots of obstacles and hidey holes that the chickens can escape the turkeys if need be.

 

[Callalilly Farms]

To me that is on the small side. The run my turkeys have access to is 50' x100'. It has lots of obstacles and hidey holes that the chickens can escape the turkeys if need be.

It's two turkeys. My chickens have 5 acres. They have a pool, a wooded area with lots of natural obstacles. Again, pacing is my concern.

 

[R2elk]

I've never separated my turkeys in the past and never had any issues. Are you saying I'll have issues because they're enclosed? My concern though is because of the stress I guess of putting them in a run she probably isn't going to nest. But I'm so afraid they're going to pace themselves to death.

I am saying you cannot trust toms especially when you only have one hen and she is on a nest. You can prevent the tom from having access to the nest without separating him from the hen.

One method is to make a cage around the nest with an opening the hen can go through but small enough that the tom cannot go through.

Toms will take advantage of a hen sitting on a nest as an invitation to breed. This can lead to smashed eggs and an injured hen. In the worst case, it can end with a dead hen.

 

[R2elk]

It's two turkeys. My chickens have 5 acres. They have a pool, a wooded area with lots of natural obstacles. Again, pacing is my concern.

The chickens would do better in a run that small than the turkeys will.