Chest bumping--Toms on testosterone!

[Arielle]

THe months have passed and I let out my BR tom and his new BBW girl. Surprisingly , they don't hang out together. Rather the Tom aka Thomas Edison heads for the BBW pen where 5 toms are happy to confront the older tom.

One day the 5 BBW busted out and chaos ensued. Oh, to have had a video camera! I was expecting a big fight and minor injuries but not a sumo wrestling match! THomas picked the nearest BBW who puffed up his feathers, then Thomas puffed up his feathers and then jumped slamming into his opponent, body to body, sumo to sumo. Rather athletic, and rather funny for large birds!

To end the match after a couple rounds, I parted the opponents and scooped up the BR tom. Off to a safety zone.

We love the turkeys and the chickens and wish we had added them to our farm sooner!

 

[chicmom]

OH, what a story! I have two toms...1 Blue Slate and 1 Royal Palm. I bought them as day old poults, and of course I had no idea what I'd gotten--toms or hens. I bought them on May 20th, so now they are just short of 17 weeks old. They're my first, and so I don't have any hens.

Someone told me they would be best buddies as long as no hens were around, and so far, they're right! Those two are always together, and now they've gotten into the habit of coming onto my front porch and looking in the window around suppertime. It's just plain adoreable! I love them!

Now, with so many males, will you have them processed for Thanksgiving, or are they all pets?

Mine are pets. My husband keeps telling me they're going to get mean soon.....He says, just wait, they'll turn mean. So far, they're so darned sweet, I can't believe it!

 

[cassidy22]

People always try to tell me that my toms are going to get mean. So far, they are just big goofballs. The Toms parade around showing off to each other, and mostly leave the girls alone. I have never had a tom get nasty with me, my daughter or any one else.

 

[jasonm11]

Quote:
If you take care of them well and spend time with them they usually will be very social and friendly. Even if two toms are fighting for dominance you can usually get between them with no agression toward you. The only time my birds have injured me is when they are trying to get away from me ( like whne I have a sick bird to give a shot too )

 

[Arielle]

Chicmom wrote: Now, with so many males, will you have them processed for Thanksgiving, or are they all pets?

Mine are pets. My husband keeps telling me they're going to get mean soon.....He says, just wait, they'll turn mean. So far, they're so darned sweet, I can't believe it!

The BBW are destined for the table. With the loss of the BR hen, a BBW hen was selected as a replacement. Didn't want Thomas Edison to be lonely! They don't hang out together though-odd. Hoping for some fertile eggs from these 2.​

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
If you take care of them well and spend time with them they usually will be very social and friendly. Even if two toms are fighting for dominance you can usually get between them with no agression toward you. The only time my birds have injured me is when they are trying to get away from me ( like whne I have a sick bird to give a shot too )

I gett bad scratches sometimes when picking up a BBW, as they usually fight me and want to be back on the ground.

My BR tom is over 1 year (purchased just a few months ago) and he is standoffish. Not able to pat him; but he moves out of my way in the pen and I can catch him and hold him with out a fuss.

I'm raising 10 of the babies from Thomas Edison and his deceased wife, Mdm. Curie. They are friendly and easy to work with. My kids catch and put them in the night coop each day.