Advice Needed: 10 week old turkeys chasing 4 year old geese

[Rogue]

I have a mixed flock of chickens, ducks and 2 female Sebastopol geese. All was peaceful until this spring I brought home a couple of Royal Palm Turkey poults. I have never had turkeys. The chickens and the ducks pretty quickly put the turkeys in their place once they were allowed to mingle. During the day all are allowed to free range and are locked up at night because of foxes and coyotes. The turkeys ( one is a Tom and the other I am not sure of the sex) are now about 10 weeks old and are beginning to chase my sweet goose sisters when they lay eyes on them. I keep hoping the geese would put them in their place before they get bigger, but I don’t think that is going to happen. I have tried running the turkeys off with a broom. My next thing I am going to try is water in a squirt bottle. Is this just going to get worse and should I consider getting rid of the turkeys?

 

[R2elk]

I have a mixed flock of chickens, ducks and 2 female Sebastopol geese. All was peaceful until this spring I brought home a couple of Royal Palm Turkey poults. I have never had turkeys. The chickens and the ducks pretty quickly put the turkeys in their place once they were allowed to mingle. During the day all are allowed to free range and are locked up at night because of foxes and coyotes. The turkeys ( one is a Tom and the other I am not sure of the sex) are now about 10 weeks old and are beginning to chase my sweet goose sisters when they lay eyes on them. I keep hoping the geese would put them in their place before they get bigger, but I don’t think that is going to happen. I have tried running the turkeys off with a broom. My next thing I am going to try is water in a squirt bottle. Is this just going to get worse and should I consider getting rid of the turkeys?

If you don't have anywhere to separate the geese from the turkeys, you will probably have a more peaceful existence among your flock without the turkeys.

Just because the turkeys accepted a lower place in the pecking order of your flock does not mean they will stay in that position. As they get older, they are likely to challenge the others for dominance. Right now the geese are the only ones that are lower than they are.

 

[Devils Flower]

I have a mixed flock of chickens, ducks and 2 female Sebastopol geese. All was peaceful until this spring I brought home a couple of Royal Palm Turkey poults. I have never had turkeys. The chickens and the ducks pretty quickly put the turkeys in their place once they were allowed to mingle. During the day all are allowed to free range and are locked up at night because of foxes and coyotes. The turkeys ( one is a Tom and the other I am not sure of the sex) are now about 10 weeks old and are beginning to chase my sweet goose sisters when they lay eyes on them. I keep hoping the geese would put them in their place before they get bigger, but I don’t think that is going to happen. I have tried running the turkeys off with a broom. My next thing I am going to try is water in a squirt bottle. Is this just going to get worse and should I consider getting rid of the turkeys?

My turkeys did this with my ducks for a while when the turkeys where young. They never hurt a duck but they have stopped and really pay no attention to the ducks anymore. My chickens and roosters did the same as what yours did. They new the turkeys weren't big enough to push them around yet.

 

[yesterDAYNE]

I raised one of my turkeys alongside geese, and then integrated them into the turkey flock. The geese avoided the other turkeys at first, but as they got older they started attacking the lower ranked turkeys including my blind baby. Geese overpower turkeys by a ton just from their bite force so I separated them. Back when my turkeys mingled with the chickens and geese, everything was fine until one day the gander decided he was fed up with my toms fighting and started flinging himself in and ripping at their feathers and wing beating them. It quickly evolves into him attacking any turkey he sees on sight.

Sebastapol might react differently to turkeys in the future. I only have 1 sebastopol and she is very timid in general. However she does attack birds that go near her so I would just be wary as they age. Once turkeys are full size they could injure a goose who wont fight back, but a goose who does fight back could injure a turkey.

 

[Rogue]

Thank you everyone for your comments and wisdom.