A visiting turkey hen

[dashman1319]

It's been an interesting morning in my backyard. I heard a commotion and looked out and saw an eastern turkey hen strutting around and trying to inspect my flock. The chickens reacted as I'd have expected - the hens gathered up behind a large bush and took up the warning call, and the rooster planted himself in between the worried hens and the turkey. I let it go for awhile to get some videos, and eventually went out and spooked the turkey into a tree since the chickens were clearly distressed.

Well, a few minutes later, the hen swooped back down and pretty much just tried to mingle with the flock. She came right up onto my patio trying to get a closer look at the hens. This time she came too close for comfort and the rooster came at her. There was a quick kerfuffle before she backed off. I threw my shoes back on and gave her a more earnest chase, but again she didn't go far.

The thing that surprises me most is that she doesn't seem all that concerned about me. I got pretty close both times before running her off. Turkey season doesn't open for a few more weeks here in central NC and I don't know a ton about turkeys, but don't the hens tend to stick together? Maybe this one is lost and looking for new friends? And aren't turkeys (toms at least) notoriously difficult to approach?

Anyway, she still hasn't gone far - I saw her strutting around the woods behind the house just a moment ago. I would imagine the major danger here if any would be poultry lice/mites that she may bring into the yard. Anybody seen a turkey hen behave this way before?

 

[R2elk]

It's been an interesting morning in my backyard. I heard a commotion and looked out and saw an eastern turkey hen strutting around and trying to inspect my flock. The chickens reacted as I'd have expected - the hens gathered up behind a large bush and took up the warning call, and the rooster planted himself in between the worried hens and the turkey. I let it go for awhile to get some videos, and eventually went out and spooked the turkey into a tree since the chickens were clearly distressed.

Well, a few minutes later, the hen swooped back down and pretty much just tried to mingle with the flock. She came right up onto my patio trying to get a closer look at the hens. This time she came too close for comfort and the rooster came at her. There was a quick kerfuffle before she backed off. I threw my shoes back on and gave her a more earnest chase, but again she didn't go far.

The thing that surprises me most is that she doesn't seem all that concerned about me. I got pretty close both times before running her off. Turkey season doesn't open for a few more weeks here in central NC and I don't know a ton about turkeys, but don't the hens tend to stick together? Maybe this one is lost and looking for new friends? And aren't turkeys (toms at least) notoriously difficult to approach?

Anyway, she still hasn't gone far - I saw her strutting around the woods behind the house just a moment ago. I would imagine the major danger here if any would be poultry lice/mites that she may bring into the yard. Anybody seen a turkey hen behave this way before?

I am curious how you know that it is a hen and not a young jake?

This time of year is breeding season and hens tend to split off from the main groups to make hidden nests. If a hen has lost her nest, she may go wandering to find a mate before she starts a new nest. I had one hen that came in for 7 years in a row. She would get bred by my tom and build a nest down in the field. After her eggs would hatch, she would take her poults and leave before returning the next year.

Young jakes can be driven from their flocks by dominant toms. They can wander around looking for something to breed.

The way you describe this turkey's behavior, it sounds more like it is one that has been raised by people with chickens rather than a true wild turkey.

 

[dashman1319]

I am curious how you know that it is a hen and not a young jake?

This time of year is breeding season and hens tend to split off from the main groups to make hidden nests. If a hen has lost her nest, she may go wandering to find a mate before she starts a new nest. I had one hen that came in for 7 years in a row. She would get bred by my tom and build a nest down in the field. After her eggs would hatch, she would take her poults and leave before returning the next year.

Young jakes can be driven from their flocks by dominant toms. They can wander around looking for something to breed.

The way you describe this turkey's behavior, it sounds more like it is one that has been raised by people with chickens rather than a true wild turkey.

Hm, actually, I don't know for sure that it wasn't a young male. From a cursory internet search and the pictures I took, I THINK it was a female (based on the color of the head and the chest feathers) but really, I'm no expert.

I don't know of anybody in my area who raises turkeys but could be. I'll be very curious to see if it comes back again.