Introducing New Turkeys to each other

[Black Feather]

I was just wondering how accepting turkeys are of having new birds introduced into their flock? My adult flock consists of one tom and three hens.

I've hatched a number of poults from the parent birds and was just wondering at what age I can introduce them to each other? The poults range from 6-8 weeks old at the moment.

Urban Coyote

 

[Struttn1]

They are way too young now. The adults will be aggressive toward the little ones especially the dominate hen and the gobbler.

Turkeys have their "establishing the pecking order" routine and you need to make sure the young birds are mature enough to stand up to the pecking and flogging that will be directed toward them.

My three gobblers fight numerous times daily and that is no place for a young poult to be. They all come out with bloody heads.

 

[chickenannie]

Yeah, I was wondering the same thing, and also is it ok to mix poults of different sizes? Mine were born over a 6 week period -- can I put them all in a pen together at 6-8 weeks even if some are 12 weeks old?

 

[Struttn1]

I have poults that are nearly 6 weeks difference together with no problems other than some minor pecking from the older poults at first. big birds will get very rough with young ones though and can easily injury or kill them.

 

[Black Feather]

Thanks so much! I will keep this feedback in mind.

I wasn't planning to put them together just yet but want to make sure I do it at the right time to prevent any issues. Not so old that the youngsters want to dominate their parents, but not so young that they can't defend themselves.

I do this with my chickens. It's kind of funny in a way actually. I let my youngsters loose with my adults and it's usually at the age where the young males are starting to feel their oats, but too young to know any better. They blindly challenge the adult roos in their teen aged foolishness and get their butts soundly whipped in about ..... 5 seconds. They go scuttling off to lick their ego wounds (They usually don't stand and fight long enough to get any others) and become much more respectful flock members afterwards

Urban Coyote