HELP! My Tom attacked my son

[jessicalynnw123]

Recently my Tom has been thumping at us and getting mean towards my family and I’m not sure why!! I want to break him of this habit and make him nice again how do I do this? I don’t. Wan to give him away.

 

[Huntmaster]

Sorry to be bearer of bad news but that is a problem when people don't understand that letting animals/livestock imprint on them it usually doesn't go well. And the bigger/more dangerous the animal the more dangerous it gets. It can interfere with all aspects of the animal's life not just aggression things like breeding and so on. Good luck hoping the best for your situation whatever you decide to do.

 

[R2elk]

We have just 1 female so is that why?

That doesn't help. If your tom is human aggressive adding more hens might help but probably won't matter. If you can find a tom that has not been human imprinted to replace him with would be the best.

 

[R2elk]

Not to steal this thread
But
This makes sense why my two drakes that we spent the most tine with abc that imprinted on us get wild when it’s high mate season
I kinda figured this was the reason
They bite my toes and try to keep me from the ladies
I carry around a small blue pool noodle and as soon as I bring it out they turn around
I use to use the pool noodle to guide them in at bedtime but now they just go on their own
Never touched them with it but maybe they think I’ll put them to bed lol
But I can also just pick them up and cuddle and they relax and don’t try to bite me when I do this

What works for ducks may not work for turkeys. Due to the size difference and one track minds, turkeys can be much more dangerous.

A broom can be helpful when trying to keep an aggressive turkey away from you.

 

[bobbi-j]

How long have you had them. I’m nervous he’s going to attack my kids again.

If he has done it once, it’s very likely to happen again (and again…) The attacks could also increase in severity. Is keeping him worth risking injury to your son, or having him develop a fear of poultry?

 

[R2elk]

Recently my Tom has been thumping at us and getting mean towards my family and I’m not sure why!! I want to break him of this habit and make him nice again how do I do this? I don’t. Wan to give him away.

It's breeding season. It sounds like your tom has been imprinted and views your family as competition.

 

[Huntmaster]

We have just 1 female so is that why?

Sounds like he imprinted on humans as a poult how old was he when you got him? Imprinted is when as a very young poult you handled and spent a lot of time with him, and he doesn't know the difference between a turkey and humans. So as @R2elk stated you are just another turkey invading his territory and he is defending it and his hen. If that's the case, he will probable always try to attack/take advantage.

 

[Huntmaster]

He hasn’t tried to attack me yet, but you think that that’s a possibility?

He may view you as dominant or as a hen and has not attempted to move up the pecking order, but he very well could attack or just always try to woo you as a hen. Once imprinted there is usually not much you can do.

 

[jessicalynnw123]

Can't tell you what is best for your personal decision, but you usually can't change this behavior. Some aren't as aggressive as others not sure how aggressive he is, but it can get worse.

Well he side jumped my 8 year old and scratched his back

 

[bobbi-j]

There is a way to tamp aggression down. I keep an aluminum handle, nylon mesh fish net handy, the handle is about 3 feet long and the net is a bit over 2 feet across. When my tom starts acting in any way aggressive, I grab the fish net and attempt to net him. After doing that daily for about 2 weeks, he will keep a wide distance away from you.

If you are willing to give it a try, have your 8 year old use a fish net and try to catch the tom. He will have to do it daily for a couple of weeks to change the tom's mind. Literally, he should run out the door with fish net in hand and straight at the tom like he's gone berserk, screaming is optional. If he manages to net the tom, keep him netted for at least a couple of minutes and chase him away when he is released. This invokes a turkey's primitive brain to "escape the predator". His instinctive response is to run. The lesson has to be repeated periodically. I chased my tom yesterday and today he won't get within 20 feet of me. Just be careful not to hit his neck hard because it can kill him. I swing at his tail feathers instead. I netted him a couple of times last year until he got the idea. He was NOT Happy, more like Grumpy!

So the tom may learn to avoid the 8-year old. What happens when the kid brings friends home from school and the bird attacks them?