- Jul 4, 2012
- 165
- 19
- 93
It's been a little over a month since I got an abandoned auction turkey which I knew nothing at all about other than he was not getting along well with the other tom who was in the cardboard box taped up with him.
So I currently have 12 hens and 2 roosters and 1 tom turkey.
I am concerned about a few things.
1. I've seen him starting to display around my chickens. I can see their house from my house, and it looked like today he was chasing them around. Is he going to try to mate them?
2. So far my baby rooster has him in check - but will this eventually be an issue or will the roo always be dominant about the turkey?
3. Should I get him a mate? If I do - will that mate want to kill my chickens should they go near her "place".
4. How can I get him to like me? Do I force him to let me hold him? Do I just do nothing? He will come near me to eat some food, and today I captured him in the coop and I pet him for about 5 minutes. He did relax when I was rubbing under his belly (omg it's so warm under there) and he even dropped one wing and spread his tail - I took that as relaxed - but then fought again another minute. I made him let me pet him again and then I let him go on a good note. Will this make him hate me and run even more from me?
They are free range from morning til night. The pen their house is in is about 250 x 150 - so having enough room to live together isn't an issue.
Thanks much!
So I currently have 12 hens and 2 roosters and 1 tom turkey.
I am concerned about a few things.
1. I've seen him starting to display around my chickens. I can see their house from my house, and it looked like today he was chasing them around. Is he going to try to mate them?
2. So far my baby rooster has him in check - but will this eventually be an issue or will the roo always be dominant about the turkey?
3. Should I get him a mate? If I do - will that mate want to kill my chickens should they go near her "place".
4. How can I get him to like me? Do I force him to let me hold him? Do I just do nothing? He will come near me to eat some food, and today I captured him in the coop and I pet him for about 5 minutes. He did relax when I was rubbing under his belly (omg it's so warm under there) and he even dropped one wing and spread his tail - I took that as relaxed - but then fought again another minute. I made him let me pet him again and then I let him go on a good note. Will this make him hate me and run even more from me?
They are free range from morning til night. The pen their house is in is about 250 x 150 - so having enough room to live together isn't an issue.
Thanks much!
