A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[OneMountainAcres]

Sticking with hens.

Hens are wonderful but every now and then you can get an amazing tom, like Ralph's JJ or my Romeo. And there's nothing like hugging a great big tom

 

[memphis]

Your right Aurora. Friend of mine has a bronze named Henry I'd steal if I could. Maybe someday....

 

[Bantambird]

Big red Tom is alright, but I don't trust him completely. I do hug him regularly, and mess with his head and neck, and spread his wings and tail as though he were in a show, since Esther wants to show him very much....

 

[JRNash]

All my toms will puff up and dance,but if I take a step towards them they make tracks!

 

[JRNash]

While I envy those of you with Lappers I believe it leads to familiarity breeds contempt. At least that's been my experience with the chickens. I'd rather my turkeys keep a healthy respect and fear of humans. Hopefully that will prevent bus rides to camp. I'm also concerned some enterprising crack head will try and steal one. That was the good thing about the geese. No one would get near them. Crackheads will swim with the gators,he he...but get near a goose...NOPE.

 

[JRNash]

Reminds me,weather is warming up. Time to go collect the "No Swimming signs"

 

[duluthralphie]

Reminds me,weather is warming up. Time to go collect the "No Swimming signs"

You must have a shed full of them by now.


I see nothing wrong with a lapper, even a lapper Tom, but you have to always remember he is an animal and he needs to respect you. When you hold him he has to know it is because you want to and you rule him not the other way around.

That said, I have a none lapper rooster that is changing places with the other rooster of his breed in the pen for the nice Asian lady from St. Paul to take home. It is my polish rooster, he has decided he can attack me. He was jumping at me through the cage wall. It would startle me and I flinched I am guessing. So he was emboldened.

I would reach into the pen and pull him out, hold him tight, tip him upside down and hold his head to the floor. It has not dissuaded him from acting like an idiot. Yesterday, he jumped at my arm when I reached in for the eggs.

Bad bad bad bad mistake on his part....

 

[memphis]

JR, my hens have been lappers for over two years . They never seem to cross the line. They enjoy the social interaction and become quite engaged with whatever I'm working on in the yard. My chickens are friendly too but I'm convinced its food motivated behavior. I'm also convinced my turkeys require more mental stimulation than the chickens. When I pull a tool out of the garage the turkeys want to see it & inspect it. Very close to the behavior my dogs exhibit when I bring something new into the house. Than said, I feel my turkeys are much more socially engaged than the chickens enabling them to develop more of a relationship with humans....or at least a different type of relationship. All said, and keeping in mind they are hard wired fowl.....toms and roosters, like my male dogs, will throw any relationship out the window when it comes to a willing female. Thats the bottom line when dealing with tom & roosters. They just can't help themselves.

So JR, I partially agree with your statement when it comes to toms, but I think hen lappers can be appropriate. Also, my hens are leary of strangers. They will puff & bark at strangers. A crackhead would have their hands full trying to "wrassle" one of my girls. Annie has already chased one suspect down my driveway. I think in some ways running into a mad hen vs. a barking dog may be a bit more startling.

 

[memphis]

One more thought...I REALLY enjoy hanging with my hand warmer mosquito picking lappers. There is great value in that!!

 

[duluthralphie]

I wonder if it has to do with the inherent "pack" or "flock" mentality of turkeys versus chickens.

Turkeys in the wild are more like a dog pack they rely on each other and really feed close to each other. Even here where we have wild flocks of hundreds the turkeys hang tight and move as one unit. Whereas chicken in the wild aren't. They area flock but, mine at least, kind of does their own thing in their own area or with one or two friends. Unless someone calls a predator warning, then they all run.