Gobblers fighting - need help

[kmb221]

We have 9 Narragansett turkeys, one of which is a hen. We separated her with 3 other gobblers and there are 5 gobblers together. A couple of days ago, two of them started fighting, so I took the one who I thought was the bully and put him in solitary confinement. Husband came home from hunting and left him back out, now the other 4 are ganging up on him. He ran back into the pen and the other followed. Husband got the others out and left him inside. What do we do? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. They are almost 6 months old.

 

[Mike Winters]

hide the female form them if they see or hear her , the males will beat the crap out of each other at any chance and at any sign of weakness or hesitation from the other males. toms like to fight and just want to impress her also they are teenagers they are probably making a pecking order

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

If they are not drawing blood or causing real injury, let them fight it out. I have 3 toms and 5 hens. The toms fought off and on for about a week establishing their pecking order. Now they all know their place and all is peaceful.

 

[kmb221]

Last night we just left them have at it. Was hard to watch, but they calmed down. Two of them were so exhausted they were panting and had their wings out. I threw in some corn, but the one that was pretty beat up got on a stump and started eating the corn out of my hand.

Thanks for the input.

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

Last night we just left them have at it. Was hard to watch, but they calmed down. Two of them were so exhausted they were panting and had their wings out. I threw in some corn, but the one that was pretty beat up got on a stump and started eating the corn out of my hand.

Thanks for the input.

Food can be a good distraction for the dramatics. The last spat my boys had my kids pelted them with corn, eating became more important then fighting.

 

[ivan3]

Mike Winters wrote: hide the female form them if they see or hear her , the males will beat the crap out of each other at any chance and at any sign of weakness or hesitation from the other males. toms like to fight and just want to impress her also they are teenagers they are probably making a pecking order

x2 (though to be completely out-of-sight/mind she'll need to be out of `audible range as well). Other stimuli that set-off the jakes/toms - even after pecking order is established: unknown humans visiting/taking walk around run, Wild varieties of turks wandering into the area. Sparring in the Fall is less intense/prolonged than that during Spring. Our boss RP (7yr old) helping to arrange year-old `punk's' feathers (good evening for it, yesterday): The 6 month old jake trying to find his place in the scrum of year-olds: We have roosts up, outdoors, in corners of the run. This gives the boys that are temporarily `vanquished' and hors de combat, a place to retreat to. Sometimes, head hung low, loser will sulk on roosts in shed all day. Turkey toms can become very `depressed' and mope for a week at a time. Outdoor roost: When ours go `overboard', in the Spring, I mix up a bit of pine tar/betadine/plain neosporin in a medicine cup. Microwave for 5 seconds to melt mix, I apply it to abraded/contused/lacerated snoods/caruncles (not directly above eyes) with soft bristled paint brush. This limits any fly activity, inspires a bit of caution in the most aggressive toms (tastes terrible) and decreases chance of infection (though they heal up rapidly on their own having evolved some very `elastic' sexual ornamentation). If possible, let them spar out in an open area instead of run (less chance of injury or some compulsive ganging on one individual). Don't let them spar near your house (knock over planters/rip screens/etc.). A thread on how intent they are in early Spring: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/40700/ah-heck-wheres-the-lek