Turkeys fighting

[Kelly O72]

My 2 male turkeys are fighting. Will they stop or will they kill each other?

 

[chickenboy190]

Welcome! I would separate them and if they don't stop fighting then one has to go and

.

 

[write2caroline]

If you choose not to separate them, they will either work it out or one will take out the other. One has to be the alpha male.
Welcome to the forum.

There is a tab under other backyard poultry and a tab for turkeys. I don't have turkeys but there are other folks who do and may be able to advise you further.

Glad you joined us.

Caroline from Florida

 

[liz9910]

Welcome to BYC! I agree with the above advice, good luck to you.

 

[All Henned Up]

Welcome and enjoy!
Steve.

 

[ivan3]

Since you only have two, it's probably best to let them work it out. Jakes tend to start sparring at about three months with some persistence (practice makes perfect). Fall, at higher latitudes, is Spring in reverse - about the time we see the song birds start their `mock mating' the jakes and toms spar at about 3/4 speed for a couple of weeks. At the end of Feb. the fellows get serious about pecking order/breeding precedence. If you are planning on breeding - separate out the selected tom&hen and don't let the other tom see them breeding (just some black garden fabric hung on a shared run fence is enough to keep the boys calmer). Even a bottom rung tom will attempt to dislodge the Alpha from the hen if they are penned together (risk of injury to hen). So long as the contenders have sufficient space (and room to get away from the other), they'll work it out - all that will be required is a bit of betadine/antibiotic ointment for anything more than abrasions (rare - and they heal up fast). They will knock over just about anything around them (tear up gardens/flip planters/etc) while sparring. This isn't to say they can't seriously injure or kill one another - but I've not seen it - and we've observed some pretty intense sparring over the last 7.5yrs. Three, or more toms can be trouble. They form alliances of convenience. The alpha's buddy will often join the omega in hopes of dislodging the alpha and beating down his erstwhile partner even further. Once the fighting is over, the loser can look like he is going to die (99% of the time it isn't injury - it is turkey mortification - these guys get `depressed' and will mope -head dragging the ground - off alone in the woods pouting - with the same intensity that they exhibit when strutting - all proud and full of themselves). Snood pulling/head biting/neck wrapping knock down-drag outs are not the rule. Most of the time they get along just fine. Jakes `practicing' (alpha tom in foreground observing) Our toms attacking neighbor's Black Spanish:

Jenny taking advantage of the fence to `dis' her motherfemales do fight, but most are brief over both time and space - no all-night through the woods brawls).

90% of the time? If the fighting gets too ugly - the old, tried and true (smear on heads - not directly above eyes) - tastes terrible and has antibiotic properties - used a lot on our first three jakes - they survived and it slowed down the biting - though not the other tactics: (also good for politicians...):

Good luck!

 

[Mammahen71]

Since you only have two, it's probably best to let them work it out. Jakes tend to start sparring at about three months with some persistence (practice makes perfect). Fall, at higher latitudes, is Spring in reverse - about the time we see the song birds start their `mock mating' the jakes and toms spar at about 3/4 speed for a couple of weeks. At the end of Feb. the fellows get serious about pecking order/breeding precedence. If you are planning on breeding - separate out the selected tom&hen and don't let the other tom see them breeding (just some black garden fabric hung on a shared run fence is enough to keep the boys calmer). Even a bottom rung tom will attempt to dislodge the Alpha from the hen if they are penned together (risk of injury to hen). So long as the contenders have sufficient space (and room to get away from the other), they'll work it out - all that will be required is a bit of betadine/antibiotic ointment for anything more than abrasions (rare - and they heal up fast). They will knock over just about anything around them (tear up gardens/flip planters/etc) while sparring. This isn't to say they can't seriously injure or kill one another - but I've not seen it - and we've observed some pretty intense sparring over the last 7.5yrs. Three, or more toms can be trouble. They form alliances of convenience. The alpha's buddy will often join the omega in hopes of dislodging the alpha and beating down his erstwhile partner even further. Once the fighting is over, the loser can look like he is going to die (99% of the time it isn't injury - it is turkey mortification - these guys get `depressed' and will mope -head dragging the ground - off alone in the woods pouting - with the same intensity that they exhibit when strutting - all proud and full of themselves). Snood pulling/head biting/neck wrapping knock down-drag outs are not the rule. Most of the time they get along just fine. Jakes `practicing' (alpha tom in foreground observing) Our toms attacking neighbor's Black Spanish:

Jenny taking advantage of the fence to `dis' her motherfemales do fight, but most are brief over both time and space - no all-night through the woods brawls).

90% of the time? If the fighting gets too ugly - the old, tried and true (smear on heads - not directly above eyes) - tastes terrible and has antibiotic properties - used a lot on our first three jakes - they survived and it slowed down the biting - though not the other tactics: (also good for politicians...):

Good luck!

I I know this post is 4 years old, but I found a dead Jake in the run today when I got home. We got 12 poults in May, and 10 seem to me males. Are we going to have an issue keeping them all alive until November?

Please advise! Thank you.