A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[charmedbaker]

Charmed...I'm sorry about Charlie. And I really hate ChaCha is hurt again. How old is Charlie? Is he going through an adolescent thing? How about getting him a friend. I'm just grasping.

Thank you. I am grasping too. Charlie is 6 months old. Chacha is a super chicken. She already lost a foot and ran away from home bleeding when I rescued her. Can't believe she is getting picked on.

In the town near me we have a place called Rooster Creek. People have been known to drop their unwanted roosters off there. It is a creek that runs through the village of Arroyo Grande. It has a lovely bridge from the town side to the neighborhood. They have farmers market on Saturday in the parking lot and park next to the creek and bridge. The wild roosters come and hang out, some hide. When you park, you never know who is going to come say hello or chase you. A friend joked that wouldn't it be funny to leave Charlie there. No. I would not do that to Any pet, rooster or turkey. But if I imagined for a moment... Holy crap that would be a great video of him coming up to people for snacks!

 

[memphis]

I remember Chacha ' s story. She certainly doesn't need to be picked on. Seems she's been through a lot in her little life. Is that the only chicken he picks on? I hate to see you have to get rid of him.

 

[memphis]

Although it would be funny at the bridge if he came out to beg food! I can just imagine people's reactions!

 

[charmedbaker]

Memphis, I saw him pick on an old rhoad island red too, but she got away with a feather plucking.

He is as big as my lab, Maggie and is quite intimidating when full strut and thrumming. People would freak!! The best candid camera ever!

But it is illegal to dump birds there and mean to the bird. The city had to do a catch and re-home project and moved over a hundred birds.

 

[charmedbaker]

Holm, those are some good looking birds!

Mountain Mom, maybe the fox ate the raccoons too.

 

[Goronson Chicks]

Finally got the turks moved into there permanent coop yesterday. T-Bone (the tom hiding behind the ladder) was surprisingly heavy.

Will it stay open between the slats like that all winter? Just curious. I'm shopping for a turkey house for our one and only Tommy.

 

[Goronson Chicks]

Hi All,
Well, it's time to say Good bye Charlie.
About an hour after my morning post talking about how great it is to wake up to a turkey gobble, Charlie attacked Chacha. He chased her away from the food dish and down to the end of the coop and ripped the fluffy feathers right out of her head. Tore a hole in her skin again like last month. She is in the dog carrier, resting. Charlie was even aggressive with me yesterday. Charging at me and making all kinds of noise. I thought it was because I was in flannel and a hat. But he did it again this morning then attacked Chacha.

He has to find a new home. I can't risk the other girls.
Any ideas on re-homing him would be great. Or what I can do to keep him. Isolation doesn't seem fair to him.

Do vets perform vasectomies on turkeys? Would it help reduce his aggression?

Is he attacking Chacha because she is the smallest or because she has one foot?

So sorry about that. Let us know when you figure out why this is happening.

 

[Goronson Chicks]

So sorry about that. Let us know when you figure out why this is happening.

I just remembered something from years ago. It's drastic but might work. Dog shock collar and a clicker. You use the clicker to warn the Tom when he is attacking your disabled hen and then shock. The theory is that soon you can use just the clicker with no shock necessary and the animal will stop the behavior when he hears the clicker. Rather drastic, but sometimes desperate situations require desperate means.

Maybe someone else knows about a different kind of behavioral training for birds?

 

[Chaos18]

Chaos....that pen is really nice!!

Thanks. It's an old corn crib/chicken coop that's probably older than I am.

Will it stay open between the slats like that all winter? Just curious. I'm shopping for a turkey house for our one and only Tommy.

I'll be adding a tarp to the back of it as that is were the prevailing winds come from in that location so the tarp should provide some relief from that. But other than covering that part up the rest will stay open all winter. It makes for great ventilation.

 

[Goronson Chicks]

Thanks. It's an old corn crib/chicken coop that's probably older than I am.

I'll be adding a tarp to the back of it as that is were the prevailing winds come from in that location so the tarp should provide some relief from that. But other than covering that part up the rest will stay open all winter. It makes for great ventilation.

We're in Maine, so I've been looking for a larger chicken coop with a big pop door. It gets 20 below during the winter, but maybe I'm being too careful. Of course, he is alone - so, no other turkeys to snuggle with just yet. Thank you for sharing the logic.