Aggressive Blue Slate Tom

[ColtHandorf]

I would not keep a tom that was raised as the lone turkey with chickens in with chickens. He was imprinted and cannot understand that they aren't turkeys. Only bad things can come from this.

Well I can promise I spent months looking for some hens for him last year. This is the first time I've ever raised a single poult without other turkeys. I have always raised turkeys alongside chickens (for the most part) and not had issues in the past. If he's imprinted on the chickens is he going to be worthless as a breeder? He will literally go through the motions of breeding the ground while everyone looks on. If I pull the trio of White Orpingtons out of the pen, will he just be miserable without his chicken friends he was raised with? Or will he "learn" he's a turkey with the turkey hens in with him? He certainly gobbles and struts around like he owns the place.

I have had squashed chicken hens and roosters killed. If they are valuable birds I wouldn't keep them together... although turkeys tend to go where they want if the pen doesn't have a top

He has thankfully only attempted breeding the one White Orpington pullet he was raised with. I have no idea why she allows it as she screams like anything if the White Orpington cockerel attempts to breed with her. I've caught him both times and rescued her. She spends a lot of time up where he can't get to her, which I realize isn't fair to her. I really though getting the turkey hens would alleviate that issue.

As far as them wandering, I clipped the turkey hens wings and they've stayed in their pen. Since he's hit his mature weight he is no longer interested in fence hopping. That's probably why he hates me. All the times I had to go wrangle him out of the pasture to get him back over the five foot fence. I let them out for a few hours this morning and they were surprisingly timid. The turkey hens tend to stick pretty close to the tom, who of course is too busy focused on strutting for me or doing something else dumb.

I guess I just want to know is breeding them just hopeless or not. I have no problem moving the whites into something temporary. I've been thinking about it all afternoon while working from home.

 

[R2elk]

Well I can promise I spent months looking for some hens for him last year. This is the first time I've ever raised a single poult without other turkeys. I have always raised turkeys alongside chickens (for the most part) and not had issues in the past. If he's imprinted on the chickens is he going to be worthless as a breeder? He will literally go through the motions of breeding the ground while everyone looks on. If I pull the trio of White Orpingtons out of the pen, will he just be miserable without his chicken friends he was raised with? Or will he "learn" he's a turkey with the turkey hens in with him? He certainly gobbles and struts around like he owns the place.



He has thankfully only attempted breeding the one White Orpington pullet he was raised with. I have no idea why she allows it as she screams like anything if the White Orpington cockerel attempts to breed with her. I've caught him both times and rescued her. She spends a lot of time up where he can't get to her, which I realize isn't fair to her. I really though getting the turkey hens would alleviate that issue.

As far as them wandering, I clipped the turkey hens wings and they've stayed in their pen. Since he's hit his mature weight he is no longer interested in fence hopping. That's probably why he hates me. All the times I had to go wrangle him out of the pasture to get him back over the five foot fence. I let them out for a few hours this morning and they were surprisingly timid. The turkey hens tend to stick pretty close to the tom, who of course is too busy focused on strutting for me or doing something else dumb.

I guess I just want to know is breeding them just hopeless or not. I have no problem moving the whites into something temporary. I've been thinking about it all afternoon while working from home.

I would pen him with just the turkey hens. He wants to breed something so bad that he should eventually breed them if they are his only option.

 

[Molpet]

I would pen him with just the turkey hens. He wants to breed something so bad that he should eventually breed them if they are his only option.

X2

 

[ColtHandorf]

Okay. I’ll move them out tomorrow into a temporary tractor and leave the turkeys in the breeding pen off the barn and see how they do. I’ll probably wait until dark, it should be a little easier and I won’t upset the new turkey hens who are still super stand-offish. I also won’t have to deal with a hormonal Tom upset that I’m taking his chosen lady friends.