Does a turkey have to be slaughtered?

[Sugar Sand Farm]

This is Gobbles we bought him last year along with some broadbreasted bronze turkeys. My granddaughter claimed him and he is still around. he harasses the dogs and attacks my son whenever he goes into his pen but he loves my gra
nddaughter. he is a royal palm dont know why his belly is bald has been for a long time.

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[Struttn1]

His breast looks like he has rubbed the feathers off rubbing against the pen wire. He also could be in moult but they grow feathers back pretty quickly after moulting.

 

[chickenzoo]

I keep my turkeys and pea's in a different pen then my chickens at night, during free ranging they are all out together, everyday.

 

[Blisschick]

My chickens are penned and my turkeys aren't, but they essentially share the same area. The turkeys like to stay close to the pens because of the food and shade, plus they're very social animals. At this point in the year, my toms are keeping to themselves, while the females and the young are staying together as a group. This is typical turkey behavior.

My only real tame turkey is in with Jerseys right now. He's blind in one eye and the other toms like to pick on him. I can go in and rub his baldy head and give him big turkey hugs and make him burp.

Inky is the one on the far right. Inky's belly got all bald from the roost he uses, but right now all new feathers are growing in.

 

[monarc23]

My mom had 3 turkeys when I was younger. They were tame as pults but once they became a year old they became extreemly aggressive except the one hen. As pults the tom killed numerous chickens by trying to breed with them (as a still not fully feathered tom). After he crushed them hed' peck out their eyes it was horrible. It took my mom almost two months to remove them from the chicken coup. They were wild colored but the large breasted type that cannot breed naturally. The tom and the one hen were so aggressive you couldnt even feed them if they were near by because you'd get floged and wing slapped simultaniously. My mom finnally gave them to another turkey guy once they started attacking our neighbors. The nice hen though she was awesome, hatched many chicks for us.

 

[silkieluver_07]

Thanks everyone for the comments on Larry! We loved him very much. We had Bourbon Red turkeys also, but in our opinion, nothing can beat the Eastern Wild Turkey. We have had to give the mean ones a drive in the truck to the woods on occasion, though.

 

[Mycookoonest]

Dh is so nervous as I have 14 turkey eggs in the bator now. I have no idea how many will hatch but I have a feeling we'll be having to craigslist them if they all hatch!

How are grown turkeys with dogs? I have big dogs and they go nuts with the chickens so I can only imagine what they will do with turkeys.

I can't wait until they hatch~!

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
Only have two turkeys, but at 5 months old, that looks like a hen!

I love my turkies! I wish I had gotten them years ago. They share the day space with chickens no problems. Ask your local poultry vet or county extension if black head is an issue where you live. In some areas it is, others it isn't. Here it is not an issue so they can mix no problem. Mine are bbb.

 

[Marlinchaser]

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Wheres the picture, and how big are they now? I got mine 2 months behind you, and weighed one this smorning, 12 1/2 lbs, I thinkl I will need a bigger scale soon

 

[kinnip]

Quote:
Wow! If they'll mow the lawn, they're in!