Hi everyone- any thoughts on how to resolve this would be appreciated!
I have a large mixed flocked (hens, two roosters, guineas and turkeys) that for the most part is extremely peaceful. I have separate coops for the chickens, guineas and turkeys, runs that can be opened and closed, an extremely large fenced yard that can be divided and also several acres of land. For the most part, everyone has worked out their place- my guineas free range as do some of my hens. My eldest turkey (female) has the freedom to come and go (she can fly the fence), but usually spends the day in the chicken yard. Of course, there are occasionally pecking order fights/bullying between the hens, but nothing I've worried about.
Out of nowhere (it seems- I'm sure there's a reason, but I can't find it), one of my hens (Sasha- 4 years old, welsummer) and my eldest turkey (female- 2 years old) are fighting like crazy. They both want only to seek the other and fight. I've tried separating them, but they will find each other through the different fences and try to fight through the fence. The turkey puffs up, tail feathers displaying, trying to peck through the fence and Sasha just holds her ground, though I have caught her trying to 'flog' through the fence, wings out etc.
If I remove Sasha completely (put her in the laundry room or locked in one of the smaller coops) the turkey calms down right away. She doesn't bother any of other hens, the roosters, the guineas, etc. It's all back to normal. The second I let Sasha out (or the turkey- I put her in the coop once) they find each other through a fence and start to fight.
I don't know what to do. If it were two hens, I'd probably let them fight it out for the pecking order as long as I monitored them and was sure no one would get hurt. But my turkey is at least twice the size of Sasha, her beak is sharp- I'm worried that she could seriously hurt my hen, especially as the hen refuses to back down.
I've never had any issues between these two and they have lived together in the same flock with no aggression towards one another at all for over two years. I'm worried about Sasha getting hurt and also any one else getting hurt in the crossfire.
If you have any ideas why this has happened, I'd appreciate it. Mostly though, I'm trying to figure out what to do. It's bordering on 100degrees here in Florida and so keeping them locked in the coops during the day seems very cruel. I'm going to try keeping Sasha in the laundry room or screened porch in 'chicken jail' for the day- do you think this will break whatever is going on between them? I've never seen a hen/turkey with a mutual 'vendetta' against one another like this.
Thanks!
-Steph
I have a large mixed flocked (hens, two roosters, guineas and turkeys) that for the most part is extremely peaceful. I have separate coops for the chickens, guineas and turkeys, runs that can be opened and closed, an extremely large fenced yard that can be divided and also several acres of land. For the most part, everyone has worked out their place- my guineas free range as do some of my hens. My eldest turkey (female) has the freedom to come and go (she can fly the fence), but usually spends the day in the chicken yard. Of course, there are occasionally pecking order fights/bullying between the hens, but nothing I've worried about.
Out of nowhere (it seems- I'm sure there's a reason, but I can't find it), one of my hens (Sasha- 4 years old, welsummer) and my eldest turkey (female- 2 years old) are fighting like crazy. They both want only to seek the other and fight. I've tried separating them, but they will find each other through the different fences and try to fight through the fence. The turkey puffs up, tail feathers displaying, trying to peck through the fence and Sasha just holds her ground, though I have caught her trying to 'flog' through the fence, wings out etc.
If I remove Sasha completely (put her in the laundry room or locked in one of the smaller coops) the turkey calms down right away. She doesn't bother any of other hens, the roosters, the guineas, etc. It's all back to normal. The second I let Sasha out (or the turkey- I put her in the coop once) they find each other through a fence and start to fight.
I don't know what to do. If it were two hens, I'd probably let them fight it out for the pecking order as long as I monitored them and was sure no one would get hurt. But my turkey is at least twice the size of Sasha, her beak is sharp- I'm worried that she could seriously hurt my hen, especially as the hen refuses to back down.
I've never had any issues between these two and they have lived together in the same flock with no aggression towards one another at all for over two years. I'm worried about Sasha getting hurt and also any one else getting hurt in the crossfire.
If you have any ideas why this has happened, I'd appreciate it. Mostly though, I'm trying to figure out what to do. It's bordering on 100degrees here in Florida and so keeping them locked in the coops during the day seems very cruel. I'm going to try keeping Sasha in the laundry room or screened porch in 'chicken jail' for the day- do you think this will break whatever is going on between them? I've never seen a hen/turkey with a mutual 'vendetta' against one another like this.
Thanks!
-Steph
