Can you keep a broad breasted turkey as a pet?

[R2elk]

Can you do veggies and melons? Not like crazy, but sparingly...

Sparingly. Turkeys love watermelon.

 

[FortCluck]

If they were mine, I could probably start sexing them at two weeks but to sex someone else's from photos, they need to be at least 3 to 6 months old. For sexing from pictures, post individual shots. One each of a full frontal, a full side view and a shot from behind looking down and clearly showing the back of the neck and top of the head. All pictures need to be relatively close and in focus.

I’ll try and make a thread or just post it in the Kiki speak one. They’re hilarious. I’m never buying turkeys again!

 

[R2elk]

I had a lone turkey once, Bubbles. He was a Royal Palm. Anyway, his friends had all died, he had killed two chickens and beat up a duck, so I put him in a coop where he could see the other birds. He stopped eating, and eventually starved.

Turkeys are very social birds and do best with the companionship of others of their own kind. It is never a good idea to keep a lone tom with other poultry, especially during breeding season.

Turkeys can get depression and die from it.

 

[R2elk]

We have two females that will be 3 in a couple months. The do free range in the day, but have food readily in the coop.
They live with the chickens. I love them to death, but they are eating all the chicken eggs. I really don't have a way to separate them, and I keep thinking any time now they are gonna pass on because they are so big and have breathing issues, but they seem happy to just hang in there for the long haul. Sweet girls, dumb as an ox, but come running like a puppy when I go outside.

So at three years old, they are still going strong. And they are regular egg layers.

If yours are only 3 months old and already have breathing issues, they are not likely to make it to 3 years old unless you make drastic changes to their diet which includes no treats.

 

[FortCluck]

Sparingly. Turkeys love watermelon.

I gave them some yesterday I bought two watermelon at Walmart because they were only $2.50 per melon. They were huge. I only gave them about a quarter and they had to share it with the big boob chickens (Cornish rocks).

They’re suckering me. I swear they are going to Fort Click. I don’t even know if I have Tons or Hens.

What age can you sex them?

 

[Friendly_Lurker]

I had a lone turkey once, Bubbles. He was a Royal Palm. Anyway, his friends had all died, he had killed two chickens and beat up a duck, so I put him in a coop where he could see the other birds. He stopped eating, and eventually starved.

 

[Clucking Lovely]

Yes you can we have a BBB tom that's 3 years old, we do kind of think this is his last year but he's such a sweetheart. I have several stories of him that might make him seem like an a**hole but he's really just a sweet bird.

Out of curiosity do you still have your tom? My heart is breaking reading this thread because up until 30 minutes ago, i thought my 4 week old turkey was a royal palm....

 

[R2elk]

I gave them some yesterday I bought two watermelon at Walmart because they were only $2.50 per melon. They were huge. I only gave them about a quarter and they had to share it with the big boob chickens (Cornish rocks).

They’re suckering me. I swear they are going to Fort Click. I don’t even know if I have Toms or Hens.

What age can you sex them?

If they were mine, I could probably start sexing them at two weeks but to sex someone else's from photos, they need to be at least 3 to 6 months old. For sexing from pictures, post individual shots. One each of a full frontal, a full side view and a shot from behind looking down and clearly showing the back of the neck and top of the head. All pictures need to be relatively close and in focus.

 

[R2elk]

Out of curiosity do you still have your tom? My heart is breaking reading this thread because up until 30 minutes ago, i thought my 4 week old turkey was a royal palm....

@Turkey parents has not been on BYC since Mar 23, 2021.