Help! Turkeys living with poultry

[GeeseMama]

What you don't understand is that tom turkeys no matter how wonderful they can be for a very long time can suddenly turn without any forewarning.

There is a thread in this forum where a member talks about his tom that was for years a great father until the day he found him killing the poults. They can change at any moment. When they do go bad, it is too late then.

Well I'll take that chance. He was gotten to do the job he is doing, not to breed. If he would end up killing any of the Guineas they wouldn't go to waste anyway. We would just eat them. We have them for tick control, food, eggs, and to make some money from selling the Keets. Yes, my kids do keep a few as "pets" and they are very friendly but they mainly function as livestock here. And no, it's not that I don't care but everything has a purpose and nothing goes to waste. The only time they're all penned together is overnight which helps as well. Any other time they all free range. And honestly the turkey goes in and out of the house as he pleases

 

[MamaLynn23]

What you don't understand is that tom turkeys no matter how wonderful they can be for a very long time can suddenly turn without any forewarning.

There is a thread in this forum where a member talks about his tom that was for years a great father until the day he found him killing the poults. They can change at any moment. When they do go bad, it is too late then.

I agree. We had to butcher our last Tom because he kept attacking me and our son. He also fought with our rooster and even some of the chicken hens. I hated his guts after a while, even though we had raised him from a poult. He was very tasty in the mole sauce my mother-in-law made with him!

 

[GeeseMama]

I agree. We had to butcher our last Tom because he kept attacking me and our son. He also fought with our rooster and even some of the chicken hens. I hated his guts after a while, even though we had raised him from a poult. He was very tasty in the mole sauce my mother-in-law made with him!

And what neither of you seem to understand is that you cannot say that about each and every Tom indefinitely.Personal experience can be invaluable but should not be taken as complete fact. It's like saying every Pit Bull will turn on its owner or every Python or Boa, or certain type of horse. You can say, here's my personal experience and how I feel. Justice because that is your personal experience does not mean it will happen. It may happen or may not. You can literally say that about pretty much every male fowl there is, pretty much any dog, cat etc. We have a Male Muscovy duck that is absolutely brutal. He didn't start out that way. He was very affectionate and now he would just as soon year your flesh off with his beak than associate with you. It's not just turkeys. You take that chance with every animal (livestock or not) that you own. But to say that it is what is going to happen, that's just false information and not beneficial to anyone. I cannot tell you how disheartening it is to see this repetitively on this forum. This is exactly why I took a long break. There is a wealth of information here but there are consistently those that give out false information as well. It's very disheartening very disappointing.

 

[Isadora]

And honestly the turkey goes in and out of the house as he pleases

This cracked me up initially because I thought you meant your house. I know people let their chickens in the house sometimes but I hadn't heard of someone letting the turkey in.

 

[GeeseMama]

This cracked me up initially because I thought you meant your house. I know people let their chickens in the house sometimes but I hadn't heard of someone letting the turkey in.

Yep that is what I meant LOL He literally comes and goes as he pleases. He will gobble at the door or go around to our sliding glass deck door and stare in or peck at the window. This is him with the Xmas tree

 

[Isadora]

Yep that is what I meant LOL He literally comes and goes as he pleases. He will gobble at the door or go around to our sliding glass deck door and stare in or peck at the window. This is him with the Xmas tree

That's so funny. What a handsome boy!

 

[GeeseMama]

That's so funny. What a handsome boy!

Thanks!