A couple turkey questions

[cupman]

I am getting an incubator soon and I have decided I want to get guineas and a few turkeys, maybe 3 or 4 at the most. I have seen pictures of some really pretty turkeys, gigantic things with pretty feathers. I was thinking of 1 tom and 2 hens, maybe 3. Are male turkeys as threatening as roosters? I would love to have some big ornamental turkey walking around my property with a few girls. I have heard geese can be pests, aggressive and mean sometimes, and I don't really want to deal with anything like that. How much room is needed to house a turkey? they free range well? Are they worth it?

I have chickens, they were all hatched out as day old when I got them. I have no neighbors with chickens and live out in the woods. How serious of a risk is blackhead? I don't know much about it but what is the likelihood my chickens have it and will transmit it to the turkeys? The chickens have never left my property, so they seem fairly well contained from diseases.

 

[Pinky]

As far as aggression goes, both male and female turkeys can be aggressive. Their attitude depends on many factors.
I think you can get your soil tested for blackhead, but I'm not positive on that.

 

[Bullet]

We have had a few turkeys and from what we have gone through the hens have been more aggressive than the toms. a good small heritage breed are the royal palms. we have a hen right now that is pretty sweet. I used to have a broad breasted bronze Tom who my son could walk up to and hug him. all of the hens we've had before this year attacked my son. I keep my chickens/ducks/turkeys together I have never had a problem with black head at all. With turkey poults we have always made sure we held them often and that has worked out for us it seemed to make them clamer. but I'm no expert that is just my thoughts. hope you get some nice birds!

 

[peewee918]

I have 3 turkeys. One BBBronze and 2 BBW. I love them. They are so friendly. My BBBronze particularly loves kids. Go figure! LOL! Mine free range with my chickens when I'm at home. I coop them at night. Most everywhere I've read says 2 turkeys can stay comfortably in a 90 square foot pen.
I converted an old rv into a chicken coop and have it enclosed in a big pen. Turkeys won't stay in coop with chickens though. They prefer to stay outside. I've had no problems with blackhead and everybody seems to be really healthy and doing great. In fact, I'll be honest I enjoy the turkeys more than the chickens. Mine are very personable. Getting ready to get some more.

 

[rittert3]

Turkeys CAN be more dangerous than a rooster and as far as their aggression vs. geese, geese are aggressive but they don't have spurs or a sharp beak like turkeys so thay can do as much damage. I know a man that was attacked by a tom and had to have 40+ stitches, that kind of lets you know what a turkey is capable of.

 

[adoptapitbull]

Turkey newbie here. Don't want to hijack the threat, but I think this is a relevant question...

At what age do you see aggression? Is there any "safe" age at which a nice turkey will probably remain that way?

 

[peewee918]

I think that it would probably be safe to say that if the bird has reached sexual maturity and has been around members of the opposite sex and not displayed any signs of aggression then that would be the case for the future. Other than if it feels threatened.

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

So far I have raised two BB turkeys to butcher time. They did have leg problems otherwise they were very sweet. And I am now attempting to raise 8 bourbon red turkeys. At 4 months of age I know I have one Tom and the rest is a mystery. They don't like to be touched or picked up and are huge so when I do pick them up legs and wings are too powerful for me to keep them in my arms for long. They are in the rooster pen so that may add to their dislike of being picked up.

So far they are as easy as the chickens just bigger.

 

[FLchook]

Well you guys burst my bubble LOL. Was doing alittle research on turkeys, because I would love to have few range in the yard. But if they have a high tendency to be aggressive, we won't be having any of those =/

Thanks for starting the thread cupman, you had the same questions I did.

 

[zzGypsy]

Quote:
don't know that they necessarily have a *high* tendency, however they may be agressive just as other birds, and they're big. if you get an agressive one, it's more of an issue because of the size. we've got 6 hens and a tom, 2 hens are just a couple of months old and shy, the others are all mature. they are all non-agressive, come when called to eat, and not overly fearful either. these are adults I bought, not ones I raised, so I can't say how they were handled, but none of them are pets. I can move calmly about them and get within 2 feet or so of any of them, but none want to be caught. so I'd have to say my experience is that they're *not* agressive... given that my experience is limited take it for what it's worth. but these aren't hand-raised birds, so there's that to consider too. these are: tom and 2 hens - bronze cross. 1 chocolate hen, 1 royal palm hen, 1 black spanish hen, 1 production white hen.