Help with new bourbon red, please

[belibutn]

My wife and I picked up a bourbon red at the feed store today. He already has that chest beard thing, looks about 10-14 weeks, i think. Anyway, we put him into the empty side of our chicken coop. I am concerned that he won't find the water or feed we have hanging in there. We left them hanging in the same spot as we did for the chickens that were there before.

He should eventually explore the coop and find them right? The coop is just the covered/walled in section of the run with big barn door for one wall.

i did leave a trail of scratch going from the corner he's been hiding in to the feed.

 

[longranger]

If he has an obvious beard he is probably close to 6 months or older. He will definitely explore and find his food and water but to help reduce his stress you may want to provide an open pan of water and a few fruit a veggie treats. Also consider a hen for companionship.

 

[sandspoultry]

If he has a beard already, he or she is older then 10 to 14 weeks old. The hens also get a beard. The turkey beard grows about an inch a year on the toms. Pictures would be great. Also keep a watch on him(her) to make sure it is eating.
Sharon

 

[belibutn]

Hmm, well that is unexpected... I'll post some pics tomorrow when it is light. We got it for thanksgiving hoping to fatten it up some more. I will be a little disappointed if it's a hen since they don't get as big, but either way it was a great price for what should be a great meal.

 

[belibutn]

here is a pic that I found that my wife took on the way home with him/her.

 

[chickenannie]

He may be stressed out from traveling, but is probably very thirsty and hungry. Turkeys are very sight-oriented, so I would make sure there's enough light for him to see the food. Also try adding cut grass -- they usually love that. Turkeys are more skittish eaters than chickens -- they tend to forage and nibble here and there all day rather than gobble food down like chickens do. What is your feed and water containers like? They may be very different from what this turkey had before and therefore he may not recognize them. I would put a few pans of food and water down right in front of him and sprinkle grass on top until he gets the idea.

 

[tannersmith2000]

man that sucks

i couldnt kill my birds for thankgiving if i had to.

well i probably could but ya know what i mean

 

[chickenannie]

belibutn, is your turkey doing OK? please give us an update.

 

[belibutn]

Sorry, I have been pretty busy.

Yes (s)he is doing great. We are 98% certain it is a he. The beard is about 3 inches long, no feathers up the back of the head, and the dew lap has been extended out a few inches. It seems to shrink up when we are out there though - like it is a fear thing or something

He is slowly getting used to us, eating a healthy portion of 24% protein feed and lots of pulled grasses and greens, and is drinking a lot too.

He keeps calling for a flock (was with 3 other birds at the feed store) and the chickens are responding to him since we no longer have a rooster. We were thinking about opening up the coops again, and letting them mix together, but are unsure if that is a good idea or not.

 

[chickenannie]

Glad to hear things are going well. My friends put their turkeys right in with their chickens and it worked out OK. The main concern is if blackhead disease -- chickens are silent carriers, but it is fatal for turkeys. From what I've read on this forum, almost nobody seems to have a problem with blackhead though.

In my experience, turkeys are so social -- he might need a pal to stop chirping so much. They really like to be with at least one other of their kind.

Also, I'm curious what methods you used to get the turkey from hiding in the corner and not eating or drinking?