Turkeys as pets??

[SterlingAcres]

When I was a kid, we had a dozen turkey chicks. Over the months my parents gave them away as Thanksgiving dinners, but we kept 3 for pets and they were great. I miss our tom, King. He was such a character.

Turkey's make great pets.

 

[cluckychick]

We have a place down at the Lake of the Ozarks and our neighbor down there has pet turkeys. He has a Tom that is huge and he rides on the back of his 4-wheeler as he goes about doing his farm chores. He is so cute but scary when u pull up to visit and your greeted by this big turkey. It looks like it was a wild turkey, the markings and all. I've nvr asked what type of turkey he is.

 

[SterlingAcres]

Quote:
Wild turkeys around here average 12lbs. If he's very large, he's probably a Bronze. That's what we had, because my parents loved the colors on the wild turkeys here.

 

[Struttn1]

Who in their right mind would want a turkey as a pet?

 

[KrisRose]

I would luv to have a turkey as a pet. Been tempted to get poults. Royal Palm or Blue Slate's.
Note to self- Need bigger coop.
Frosty- Yer turkey cookin story was a hoot. Revenge is sweet

.

 

[FrontPorchIndiana]

We had two bronze breasted turkeys when I was a kid, Tom and Maude. Dad intended to have them for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, but in the end they died of old age and we still didn't eat them. They are a hoot to watch and can be very friendly if you treat them well. I'd highly recommend them as a pet.

 

[thndrdancr]

I dont mean to revive this old thread, but you all are making me wanna keep my turkeys!

I had someone call about them and they want at least ONE they say for eating.

I cried all day yesterday, but I know thats the chance ya take.

Last night I had them out and they all jumped in my lap, even the ones that are NOT as tame. And they are good for trying to catch flies. I just love that lil chocolate one. I was hoping Sparrow would want them, darnit!

 

[Shanna411]

I just bought a turkey. For a pet added to our mini farm. He is a Bronze...I'm not sure if a double breasted. Almost 1 year old. We are on 2acres. I have a portion of the backyard high fenced. My chicken coop is in the high fenced area. Lots of room to roam. Lots of trees to roost. Tonight is his 1st night here. I managed to coax him into the chicken coop at lock down (we have possums n coons/predators) My chicken's /hens would not go in coop, because he was in there. He is out in the fenced area tonight with my axis doe & withered male goat & female goat (Hollyberry, Henry & Honeybee) I just went out there with a flash light. He was nestled on the ground in the brush under the trees. I'm hoping the fenced area is enough or will I need to lock him in coop every night? Also, can you tell by pic if he is a double breasted? The lady hatched him and raised him with a roo...she wanted to sale, because financial reasons and couldn't build a better pen...he was in a muddy pen from rain a week ago. Stunk to high heaven! I literally bathed him when I got home. ..he didn't like it too much, but we got thru it. ..

 

[teria]

I'm no turkey expert, but, if he is more than 5 or 6 months old I would think he is not a Broad Breasted, because he would be much bigger.

Our hen turkey shares the coop with our chickens and they get along fine. Turkeys like to roost pretty high up, unless they are broad breasted. So, as long as you give them a roosting bar that can hold them, they will roost where ever you enclose them for the night. Our Tom was an outdoorsman. He would roost outside and no matter the weather he would plan to stay there, so we had to gather him and the hen up to get them in their house for the night. Since he has been gone the hen has adjusted to living in the coop and heads in on her own as the sun goes down.

Neither turkey was especially fond of being touched. They would be so curious about anything we were doing, but, as soon as we would reach out to them they would lurch away. Now, when the hen is roosting, I can walk up to her and pet her but she still protests a bit. She just can't do anything about it because she is on a roosting bar and can't really run away.

We just love our hen turkey. She's pretty quiet, is imprinted on us, and thinks she's a chicken.

 

[copper2]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1065002/what-is-this-turkey-thinking/90#post_16277917