I am wondering if I am going to have a problem.

[eggcited2]

One of the chickens got out of their pen while Bill was working on getting the fencing better. We were planning on turning the chickens loose so they can free range now. That would be the same area the turkeys have. The chicken that got out was doing ok checking out the new grassy area. But Tom all of a sudden charged the chicken and acted as if he was going to attack it. It ran and he continued to chase it, hopping up in the air and looking like he was trying to get his spurs into it.

Does that mean we are not going to safely be able to let the chickens be where the turkeys are? I sure hope not, cause that was the plan all along. I don't know what to do if there is going to be trouble.

Is there a way to or a time of the day to let them all be out together? Tom has been on the other side of the fence from the chickens and right next to each other. He even had gotten into their pen a couple times (when the gate had been left open). He never acted like he did today. Also, right after that happened, and I had put the hen (chicken hen) back into the chicken pen, he came running towards me when I had my back turned to him. As soon as I turned around, he quit running and walked off. Was he challenging me or going to try to nail me?

 

[thaiturkey]

Tom is showing the chicken that he's the boss. The chicken won't have any problem with that but keep an eye on them because it might turn nasty if he gets a foot on the chicken.

He probably challenged you because he was in that frame of mind having dealt with the chicken. Don't lie face down on the ground when he' around, though!

 

[lotzahenz]

I let my turkeys run with my flock of chickens with out much trouble. Once in a while a turkey will challenge a chicken but it usually resolves quickly, turkey always wins. I have a Muscovey Drake that pulls out all my rooster feathers, but leaves hens alone. I have never had a rogue Tom, mine are either skittish or very friendly. It's getting close to thanksgiving if he does attack you though. Maybe put your turkey in overnight, so they wake up together, him being the ONLY turkey may make him less confident. Good luck, I LOVE my free-roaming flock.

 

[lordvoldemort]

I only have one turkey and he free ranges (not by my choice lol). His flock consists of two mix drakes, 2 pekins, 3 mix hens and 7 cornish rocks all of which boss him around. He doesn't have to be in there with them, but chooses to fly over the fence back into the pen with them. He has even ran with my other flock of chickens and was buddies with my millie fleur d'uccle rooster. I have had success (with my chickens at least) by introducing new ones at night. It's like the wake up and decide 'oh well there's an extra chicken in here today'. I would just keep an eye on him because I know that with my turkey he gets into odd moods. We have a bunch of outside cats and there are actually ones that he will let come into the pen and some he absolutely hates, even though none of them have ever bothered him.