turkey fights

[Haida]

Three of my boys faces are swollen up pretty bad from fighting,what should I do to help them get better?

I've been cleaning their cuts with either Blu-Kote or alcohol, then swabbing Neosporin over it. Seems to help the swelling. I haven't had anyone fight for a few weeks now (knock on wood) so their little cuts are scabbing up nicely. They just look kind of funny with their little blue scabs. I found Blu-Kote in the horse section of my feed store... I've heard the blue color hides the injury from other birds and it's deep penetrating.. but don't get it on your hands or clothes!!! My bottle blew up on me, and my right hand is STILL blue!! Seems to come off of the turkeys pretty easily, though...

Or... you know... you could always eat them.

(Just kidding... kind of).

 

[mrclif]

Thanks. Mine dont really have scabs but alot of swelling they look terrible. My blk bird cant see well due to the swelling sorta looks like cauliflower ear that fighters get.

 

[mrclif]

Well I've come to the conculsion my swelling on my birds is not from fighting but from fowl pox. I'm not getting return phone calls from the only all animal DR in the area.
Pretty worried bout em now, local feed shops havent had anything to give em either.

 

[ivan3]

mrclif wrote: Well I've come to the conculsion my swelling on my birds is not from fighting but from fowl pox. I'm not getting return phone calls from the only all animal DR in the area. Pretty worried bout em now, local feed shops havent had anything to give em either.

Separate any that continue to spar (even mild cutaneous - `dry' form can take up residence in upper GI if the boys are trans. with`biting beaking'). Last year, our turks were `hit' with the Pox (first time in over 8 yrs). Those toms sparring the most were the most symptomatic (jake/hens sharing same area with no sparring were either asymptomatic or developed one/two small scabbed pox). Most one can do is suppress the sparring/make sure the guys can get to food and water/daub any weeping pox with iodine/betadine. Good luck! What happened here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/134230/hope-this-saves-a-turkey-from-blackhead/80 If a yearly occurrence (vaccine): http://posc.tamu.edu/files/2012/08/Fowl-pox.pdf Our jakes/toms have always sparred (Spring/Fall) with no lasting damage, but they have plenty of trees to retreat up into and are not crowded into pointless duels. Goes without saying that BB's should be separated so as to focus on `Thanksgiving'. More on sparring: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/40700/ah-heck-wheres-the-lek

 

[sashacat]

Some how (LOL) we ended up with 15 turkeys in the yard this year. God grief, never again! I finally have them separated into the 6 hens and mature tom, all the rest of the toms, and one injured female by herself. You'd think the guys would tear each other up. One more month to butchering... We are keeping 3 hens and the big tom for breeding next spring. Boy, I'm gonna sell all but 2 as babies and that's it! Too many crazy birds!!!!! The injured hen has a terrible gash on her back, looks like the tom stuck his foot in her back! Nasty, trying to heal her up! All Royal Palms, BTW

 

[Celie]

I said way back in this feed that we had all hens....no. I was wrong! My husband and I just figured this out. We are on our 3rd year with turkeys. Our first year, we had 2 toms and 2 hens. That year, the 2 big ones fought pretty good. I guess I was thinking that there would be some big thrash with spurs?? They got puffed up all the time, and they would whip their wings at one another. You could do nothing to stop it. Spray them with the hose, NOPE. Throw a bucket, NOPE. (they had cat like reflexes!!!) They would grab skin and pull, and there would be a little blood. They were definitely HUGE too. Second year turkeys, were all hens. PRETTY sure cause every single one was laying an egg. They were aggressive with each other too, and even puffed a little, but nothing as showy as first year turkeys. I don't remember 2nd year chicks acting aggressive either? This years chicks (3rd), we got today....and there is one in the batch of 4, that is kind of a punk!!! So, I wonder, ??? Will there be toms??

Are you using the same breeders year after year, or line breeding? You might need some new genes in the mix. If you don't have enough property for them to get away from each other, there will be more fighting. Usually mine will bump chests and pull a snood or two, forming pecking order, but if they were crowded, things would probably be worse. Turkeys do better, the more room they have and too many inbreed them by buying all their breeding stock from one source! Every couple of years, I get rid of all my toms and get new toms from a different non- related breeder.

This is our first Turkey year. We started out with a breeding trio (2 hens abd a tom) now we have 21 total. All 18 are their offspring raised as a natural hatch. We will be processing all 18 in November. Right now they are fighting something fierce. I hope they survive to process but they are really something to watch because they look like they will fight to the end. Interestingly enough, the older tom (the father) is not joining in bit is walking around in full display and gobbling. Like he is watching out that things do not go too far.

The other weird thing is that my one hen is still laying. It was one egg a day until the beginning of this month. Now she is about 3 per week.

When the laying season is winding down and molting will soon start, turkeys usually lay fewer and fewer eggs, until they stop completely to molt! This is normal! Sounds like Dad is already Alpha and not being challenged yet. Too many turkeys in not enough room makes for more aggression. Turkeys do best free ranging on about 1/8 to 1/6 acre per bird, depending on size of breed and quality and quantity of feed. If hand raised, they are less aggressive and tamer, but raised by their mother, they will be better foragers, given enough room!

I recently started having a problem with my turkeys fighting as well, and they were very vicious to one another. The toms harmed one of my hens, and they were bloody themselves from fighting. I removed the hens from the pen and relocated them far away from the toms. They still fight occasionally but not as brutal as they were when the hens were around. They will be 6 months old at the beginning of October, I wasn't really wanting to process them until closer to Thanksgiving, but I may have to to keep the peace.

Like chickens, turkeys will fight to establish pecking order and since they are larger, you will notice it more, but it also depends on breed and genetics, or diversity in the genetics!

 

[Celie]

Hi everyone

I must say I'm somewhat relieved to be reading that my flock are acting normally afterall!

This week I've had to seperate my two toms (1 year old Thomas and 5 months old Gravy). Gravy has always be designated as Thanksgiving Guest of Honour. I was worn out watching Thomas pursuing Gravy relentlessly and worried about both of them losing weight from this activity.

My problem now is that Thomas is bonded with his 2 hens of 1 year old and will not accept his daughters of 5months old who I had intended to keep to breed with him.

Could things change by Spring when they come into breeding age? I just dont knwo what to do for the best for them all.

thanks
Sharon

At 5 months, they are not yet breeding age, but by the time the hens are old enough to lay, his attitude should change. Turkeys are not monogamous!

 

[Celie]

I hate the fighting! Has anyone had issues with pecking? I've noticed my boys are starting to go at it (UGH!!) and I watch them get into these little pecking squabbles. One turk will pick up something yummy, and his brother will want it, so he pecks at the other boy's cheek/chin area. And he will grab on! I have a bunch of guys with little cuts on their cheek/chins/dewlaps and its frustrating. I don't want infections!

The worst one, on a big standard bronze named Avery, is a little swollen. I'm going to check the forum for cleaning tips, but does anyone have some here? How do you hold a turkey's head so that he can't wiggle or hurt himself? The last few nights, I've been able to apply a little neosporin while he's roosting, but he's starting to catch on and doesn't like things poking him (lol, who does?).

I know flipping them on their backs works (at least when they're younger) but I haven't tried to flip over a 15-20 pound bird yet, haha. I don't want to hurt him and I don't want to take a wing to the face (its kinda stingy... and flips my glasses off somewhere.. prolly into turkey poo).

If you need to work on any animal, try to put a towel over their eyes. If they can't see you they don't think you can see them and usually will calm right down!

 

[Celie]

Sooo strange to us...we have 2 Standard Bronze Toms and 5 hens. They were all in the same large pen with a guinea and a temporarily visting Banty Rooster...but anyhow, the Toms did fight a few times, nothing long lasting and they all got along well. So, we decided to split the Toms and give one 3 hens and the other 2 hens before they get too much older and the fighting over hens begins. The only thing separating the two groups is some nice PVC coated chicken wire. Finished the first two runs today and separated the birds...and then it got WILD.

The Toms went at it with the fence between them. They would grab each other's snoods or waddles or beaks and hold on and pull thru the chicken wire. My husband and I physically pulled the birds from the fence but within a minute, the two were at it again. So odd since they all got along so well when penned together. Maybe one is jealous of the hens we gave the other...don't know. However, they finally gave up and things have settled down. We show one of those Toms and I am hoping their behavior does not do any noticeable damage to either. If it happens regularly, we will move them so there is an empty pen between them. Anyone else had their Toms start fighting BECAUSE they were separated???

Any time you change the grouping, birds will fight to establish pecking order all over again. The toms will rub up against the fencing until they rub their chest bare and their beards off. Once established, pecking order should not be rearranged!

 

[Celie]

Thanks. Mine dont really have scabs but alot of swelling they look terrible. My blk bird cant see well due to the swelling sorta looks like cauliflower ear that fighters get.

That sounds like sinusitis, which is rather common in turkeys in smoky areas and during pollen season. If it gets bad you might want to use Tylan, a wide spectrum antibiodic, to ward off any infection!