How do I stop aggression?

[Kelseyjordans]

My Tom is about 6 months old now and has become extremely nasty. He kicks, bites and gets big at me and gets super pissy if the hen wants you to pet her. I understand his hormones are probably going crazy right now but I can’t have him kicking me every time I walk into the coop. How can I stop his behavior?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Either pen him up seperately or eat him

 

[R2elk]

My Tom is about 6 months old now and has become extremely nasty. He kicks, bites and gets big at me and gets super pissy if the hen wants you to pet her. I understand his hormones are probably going crazy right now but I can’t have him kicking me every time I walk into the coop. How can I stop his behavior?

Sorry, you can try carrying a broom with you and use it to keep him at a distance. The only sure fire method to cure that type of aggression is by inviting him to dinner as the guest of honor.

 

[Kelseyjordans]

Sorry, you can try carrying a broom with you and use it to keep him at a distance. The only sure fire method to cure that type of aggression is by inviting him to dinner as the guest of honor.

Oh no! he’s my baby! Plus then the hen would be lonely. We don’t eat our animals. Is there no way to maybe like pin him down and show him who is boss? I don’t care about him getting poofy but I’m not a fan of the biting and kicking

 

[R2elk]

Oh no! he’s my baby! Plus then the hen would be lonely. We don’t eat our animals. Is there no way to maybe like pin him down and show him who is boss? I don’t care about him getting poofy but I’m not a fan of the biting and kicking

The kind of behavior treatment that you are suggesting only works temporarily and doesn't work at all if you can't control the tom the whole way through the procedure. If you can't keep full control of it at all times, you will only make the situation worse. You could also be setting yourself up for attacks from behind.

Your only other real option is to rehome the tom and replace him with one that has not been imprinted. It is the imprinting that you did that is causing this behavior. He does not understand that there is a difference between turkeys and you.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Imo pinning and 'dominating' is only going to make him worse as he sees you're fighting back and trying to overpower him

 

[Kelseyjordans]

The kind of behavior treatment that you are suggesting only works temporarily and doesn't work at all if you can't control the tom the whole way through the procedure. If you can't keep full control of it at all times, you will only make the situation worse. You could also be setting yourself up for attacks from behind.

Your only other real option is to rehome the tom and replace him with one that has not been imprinted. It is the imprinting that you did that is causing this behavior. He does not understand that there is a difference between turkeys and you.

I guess I will just deal with his behavior, I feel rehoming him is going to get him eaten and I don’t want that to happen, so that isn’t really an option. This is my first time owning turkeys and we didn’t know that when they imprinted they got nasty. My little hen who we raised the same is as sweet as can be and loves to be pet and the Tom used to be scared of us

 

[R2elk]

I guess I will just deal with his behavior, I feel rehoming him is going to get him eaten and I don’t want that to happen, so that isn’t really an option. This is my first time owning turkeys and we didn’t know that when they imprinted they got nasty. My little hen who we raised the same is as sweet as can be and loves to be pet and the Tom used to be scared of us

She is a hen. Males can get very nasty. If you want them as pets, just keep a couple of hens.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

It all matters how they imprint too. Mine were all friendly, but we didn't baby them. They respected us and we respected them. We only had one that I babied, but he didn't have hens to show off to either since (I forget why) he was in a different flock out of sight and only had chickens for company

 

[Bo Garrett]

I have 33 toms, no a mean one in the bunch. I treat them like turkeys and not pets as they are not intended to be pets. They understand that I am not a turkey and as such fear me in that regard but are not wild because they know who butters their bread each day. The only remedy for a mean tom is to remove him from the situation, as he gets older and larger he will get strong enough to hurt you and he will not be re-educated in this regard. If you choose to keep him and deal with this behavior then I wish you well, I would get rid of him and get another mature tom that shows no signs of aggressive behavior.

Blessings,

Bo