Aggression or affection?

[Sjisty]

Whenever I am sitting in the back yard my tom turkey, "Lurkey," starts strutting and making a thumping sound. He comes closer and closer, shaking his tail and wing feathers. He follows me everywhere in the back yard, almost always strutting and "thumping." Is this aggression or does he love me too much?

 

[LeBlackbird]

He looks like he's trying to win you over, I'd say he has a crush on you

 

[marytoast]

Turkey love! I'm jealous!

 

[ivan3]

As long as he's just strutting and chuffing it's all copacetic. If it's `love', he'll try to cover your shoe.

If he starts trilling (challenge call) at you while turning to the side with the wing facing you open and touching the ground, then you'll need to walk right at him and keep walking (even if you have to push him) don't stop until he retreats a ways. You can holler and flap your arms while you're going after him. It is a good practice to do this, every so often, even when he's not `shooting the red', just to reinforce your alpha status.

Our toms don't display too often around us but if one of us starts bragging on them, e.g., `what a bunch of big devils!' their vanity gets the better of them and they'll strut around a bit.

 

[Sjisty]

When he gets up to me, he turns to the side. Both wings drag the ground. He turns sideways. He shakes his wings and tail and does that spitting thing. I usually push him away and he starts all over again. I ignored him today and he kept getting closer and closer, bumping my leg and my chair with his breast. I finally reached for him and he let me pet him. Then he backed off and started again. He ended up jumping on my lap. I immediately pushed him off, so I don't know what his intentions were. When he was back on the ground, he did a little backing-up kind of a prancing dance. He may need to go to freezer camp to cool off!

 

[farmerlor]

Aw, he just loves you!

 

[ivan3]

Yeah, if he's `stomping' it's probably love...

They will usually stretch out their neck as high as possible, beak to the sky, and trill, if murder is on their minds. The other clear aggressive move is putting down the head like a bull and charging.

Just pick him up (wrap arms around folded wings/bod) with his back on your chest, his feet flailing impotently, and carry him away to his run. This also reinforces one's status as boss bird.

 

[Cacklin" Hens]

I would say love. just wondering what kind of turkey is he? very pretty

 

[Cacklin" Hens]

I would say love. just wondering what kind of turkey is he? very pretty

 

[Sjisty]

Cacklin" Hens :

I would say love. just wondering what kind of turkey is he? very pretty

He's a bronze-breasted, hatched last summer.​