turkey fights

[BOrion]

Please help. Need advice. Went out this morning to find one of my toms down. Some feathers around. He can't stand. I have chickens, goats, a guardian dog and four wild rio grande turkeys. Two hens and two toms. One tom has always been dominate and several weeks ago I noticed the non-dominate Tom was sleeping on the ground, instead of the tree with the others. I've never seen them fight. Just wondering if I should go ahead and butcher. I'm new to turkeys and these are last years babies. I do not eat meat and do not butcher, so I don't go down this road lightly. I just need advice regarding the injury and turkey behavior. Thanks!

 

[ivan3]

If you can't get it to stand then, yes, butcher (consider it to be a gross necroscopy - exam of skin/flesh/bones/internal organs). When the males spar the vocalizations (lots of trilling challenges) and neck wrapping knock down drag-outs are difficult to miss and the most common sign (if observing after the fact) will be abrasions/small divots of flesh from heads/caruncles removed by beaks. If toms are free ranged there is usually far less chance of a sparring match that results in serious injury/fatality as loser can back off at will. We've had up to six toms a season, going on eleven years (three at the moment) with no deaths/serious injuries resulting from, occasional, round-the-clock, sparring. Examine tom carefully when dressing it out.

Be aware, if this was a result of continued, unobserved, sparring - and the downed tom can stand or get up and move away from you without limping and no other signs of injury/illness - then he's probably just depressed from being whipped (we've had losing toms spend days lying about, beak in the grass, seriously moping (often plotting revenge).

 

[BOrion]

Tom was totally unable to stand. Did not look good. Partner and I looked up how to butcher and just finished. My first, but I guess absolutely necessary if I am going to raise critters. Thank you.

 

[chicken lady 15]

yes they did they were raised together but had 2 hens also not sure what happened he has been hiding before this all happened

 

[CrxyChickLdy]

Hi, I too have a hen and a tom - at least pretty darned sure of the sex on the hen, has only exhibited hen characteristics until now. They are both Bronze turkeys - bought & raised together and just over 3 months old. Just started occasionally fighting two days ago. Scarlett will get close to Henry & "say" what must be some pretty nagging wife stuff to him (that's my daughter's explanation), as the more she talks (trills that we've not heard from her before), the more puffed up & ticked off he gets. Then they jump at each other then he slaps her around. I've been able to separate them each time so far but didn't realize that the hens would do this. Any thoughts on why?

In the first picture Scarlet is on the right and she's on the left in the second picture. Like I said - I'm pretty sure she's a hen as she's never strutted or gobbled - only Henry has and she exhibits breeding postures when he's strutting.