Help, I've created a monster turkey!

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Hmmm, now I got to try to speak turkey. Most hens will make a quick meep noise, repeated more when they are excited, but when they want to fight they take a more upright stance and run together a trilling sound often said with their necks slightly extended. I don't know if that makes sense, but it might if you heard it.

My toms gobble non stop at everything and anything, it can be very noisy. The hens mostly make meep meep sounds.

Turkeys can be at risk for predation while roosting in the trees, plus they can break branches and damage trees. Mine have tried a time or two to tell me where they are sleeping, but I always had the last say.

Clipping both wings can sometimes allow them to still fly as they are pretty powerful with their wings. I would try one, cut all primary feathers down to the secondary feathers and see how it goes. My younger ones were flying right out of our fencing until we clipped one wing and so far they haven't gotten out but are able to hop on a 3 foot wood fence as well as get up to roost.

 

[shortgrass]

Ha-ha, I understood your "turkey" just fine I hadn't heard that kind of trilling coming from her, but DH said she does it to our dog, so I'm going to have to try to listen real close today and see if I can hear it. Good, I haven't been yelled at in turkey yet

Yeah, they have already broken a branch out of a tree, and the tom likes to sit up on top of their camper/coop and poop all night, so I think I will be retraining them to sleep inside. Winters pretty much here, anyway. They don't need to be roosting in the trees; they have a nice home to sleep in. Save my trees, too

And she's getting a wing clipped. We'll see how much she loves me after that!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Good luck, hopefully it grounds her. I'm not a fan of turkeys running amok. My older ones behave but those younger ones can drive me bananas with their shenanigans. I'm always glad when they grow up.

I would also worry about the turkeys falling out of the tree on a windy night if the branch breaks, they don't seem to know how much they weigh.

 

[shortgrass]

Well, she's not bugging me today.

But I think they're traumatized

We butchered their last broodmate yesterday, and although we did try to keep it out of their line of sight, they might have seen it. They were trying to roost over by the chicken pen on a tree stump and a trash barrel last night, but I herded them into their coop. They've been pacing all morning, trying to push their gate open, etc. They act like a predator is in their pen. Just for insurance, I sent the dog in there to sniff around and make sure nothing was lurking or hiding under things, but nada. And they won't eat.

I think I might have cured her "lovey doveys" and gave them PTSD instead

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My turkeys get excited when one is butchered and will try to attack it, my husband will first shoot them in the head. Mine do get freaked out over piles of feathers. Turkeys are very observant.

If they aren't used to being confined or they just want out they will pace for a very long time.

 

[kconley]

@oldhenlikesdogs

Where do your turkeys roost? Mine fly up into our maple tree. I'd like them to stay in the chicken coop but the run isn't covered and they fly over the 6' fence. Do you think they'll be more prone to staying in when they're 1+ yrs old?

 

[kconley]

I need help. Lol I have a turkey hen that won't leave me alone!

I decided, for some odd reason, to get a couple of heritage Royal Palm turkeys this last spring. I have never kept turkeys past the point of dinner (about 6 months of age) so I didn't know what to expect. All i know is I wanted a couple of smaller pretty turkeys to keep, not for eating. I plan on letting them breed and hatch out poults come next spring. Their broodmates have since been butchered, save for one. (A BBB, shes getting butchered this week for turkey day)

My problem is twofold.
The female will not leave me alone! She waits by the door for me and follows me everywhere, sits by me and pecks my pockets, etc etc... I am very fond of her, yes, but not THAT fond The tom stands at a distance and shows off, but he doesnt come within 10' of me unless I have a treat. I don't mind it, but what I do mind is that now she is starting to stalk and chase my kids, ages 11 and 7. They know to not harass her or turn their backs on her, and she's not agressive about it, yet. But I'm concerned that I have a 2 month old baby that will be going out in the yard with me come spring. He will be 7 months old, so obviously I will have him by my side constantly. I'm quite certain that she will probably end up pecking him, and I won't have any of that. So, I have 2 general questions:

1. Can I tether her short term when I'm outside with him? I've read some posts on birds getting legs broken by tethers, so I don't want her to get hurt, but she won't stay in a pen; she flies right out. Caging is not an option, either. It's either free range or temp tethering.

2. When (if) she hatches poults, will she become less clingy and/or more agressive? She's such a sweetheart I don't want to end up eating her because of my mistake and I want to prepare for spring if there's a possibility that she's going to go bananas on me.

What did I do wrong? Too much imprint on me? I couldn't really help it; she's been super clingy from day one, out of 4 poults I had purchased, has always been my follower. She's weird lol...

Was just thinking maybe I could tether her while I'm outside with the baby, and let her go when I'm not, but if she DOES hatch poults, I'm not sure tethering would be good for her to not be able to roam with her babies.. Ugh I don't know what to do, but something will have to change. Any help appreciated

I have five narragansetts. They're definitely interested in people and will keep me company in the barn. However, the one Royal Palm poult I have is incredibly vocal and insists on being involved in all activities. Maybe it's the breed!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

@oldhenlikesdogs

Where do your turkeys roost? Mine fly up into our maple tree. I'd like them to stay in the chicken coop but the run isn't covered and they fly over the 6' fence. Do you think they'll be more prone to staying in when they're 1+ yrs old?

My turkeys have their own shed and run. Most roost inside in 2x4's with the 4 up. A few roost outside on some log roosts we have out there.

I have had turkeys kill chickens, and I wouldn't house them together. Turkeys are usually very rowdy their first year but settle down more after the first breeding season when they are more interested in laying eggs and mating. My older birds don't usually fly out of their run. We are working on covering it with electric fence wire but it's not fully covered yet. I clip my younger birds wing so they can't fly out.

If your turkeys aren't confined at night they will continue to roost in all kinds of places, something I don't like personally.

 

[shortgrass]

I have five narragansetts. They're definitely interested in people and will keep me company in the barn. However, the one Royal Palm poult I have is incredibly vocal and insists on being involved in all activities. Maybe it's the breed!

That could be! I had 4 BBB in with them from hatch, and those ones didn't care for me too much, and they always stayed in. But they were too fat to fly, too

 

[shortgrass]

Well... It's progressed to where she comes and hops up in my lap and wants petted...

And she squats for me but runs away from Tom.


If I ever do get her to fall for her mate instead of me and lay some eggs, is she going to be broody or am I going to need to use the incubator?

I never did my research in whether or not Royal palms go broody...