Is my turkey tom being aggressive or just friendly?

[chickenannie]

Ivan -- a new development -- apparently my Tom turkey has been running, I mean running FULL SPEED, alongside vehicles. My farmer-neighbor who keeps his cows here said yesterday my tom ran alongside his pickup truck, then ran in front of the truck back and forth several times as it was driving down the lane like he was on a high speed suicide mission. What is wrong with him that he's acting like this!? What should I do? The farmer is not an animal lover and would probably run him over if he does it again. Does he think it's an enemy? Do turkeys like to chase things? Is the absence of his hens making him crazy?

I am avoiding having to pen him up if I can help it. It doesn't seem dangerous to do this, just dangerous to himself.

I could get another RB tom from a friend this week. Does he need a distraction from humans? yours seem to get along well once they've established pecking order.

 

[ivan3]

IIRC, your turks were also visiting the farmer's market? Now your tom is `feeling spring' big time and taking on those nasty vehicles. Yes, I suggested previously that in order to keep your turks from either being stolen or killed (of their own volition, or otherwise) it is a very good idea to build them a secure run. Depending on the laws in your state/county if your boy causes a wreck you might be liable for damages (not good).

In general, yes, Wild Easterns (all heritage breeds included) have been known to hang out on train station platforms, eat up gardens, and attack all variety of objects (some of them moving ).

This a story I just googled that happened in your neck of the woods.

http://www.wgal.com/holidays/2636494/detail.html

Take care, now,

John

 

[chickenannie]

Ivan,
The farm sits off the road by several hundred yards, so this is all happening at the house/barn area, away from public traffic. If it was happening in public traffic, I'd never let them free-range. I've been penning them up on market day each week, so that has solved the visiting-the-market problem.
I did get some materials to build a mobile pen, but as a non-carpenter, it's going to take a while to get that pen ready!

I didn't read the link yet, but I will.

IYO, will the car-chasing stop after the last hurrah of Spring is over? Or is this permanent behavior now?

 

[ivan3]

Annie, the link is just about turkeys chasing cars. He should slow down as summer progresses (as they get older they get to be homebodies - our Slate hen used to fly over the six foot fencing all the time and taunt me from the top of the chimney. Now that she's three she hasn't flown out in a long time, the boys never have unless extremely frightened.

Metal fence posts and just chicken wire if that's what's available - that will take care of the wandering (ours will just stick around in their run even when the gate's open, if they don't see anything interesting).

Sounds like they're giving you a run for your money at the moment! They don't mean anything by it, but it can seem they are intentionally testing one's mettle at times.

 

[chickenannie]

Wow, your article about Lancaster is right on, but scary. Turkeys are really ODD. It was suggested to me by a friend that maybe mr. turkey sees his reflection in the car and is running alongside to catch up and fight. Why else would a lazy tom decide to expend SO much energy running? He hardly moves the rest of the day except to swagger around like a drunkard!

I've been giving him the alpha male treatment, so we'll see how that goes.

Tonight when I fed the cats some milk after dark, mr. tom hopped down off his perch, and drank the milk instead. Now he thinks he's a kittycat.

You've really been great with turkey advice, I appreciate it. There's not a lot of turkey experts on here it seems...

 

[silkiechicken]

Let's get all the turkey experts to post more! Or maybe we need to post more questions. I want to learn more about them. Just got my first three meaties and they are truly odd... very curious and I think it's their curiosity that get's them into trouble. They come running when they get out and my mom tells them they are stupid, yes she talks to the turkeys, becuase they come over rather than run away when they are being caught running though the kitchen. LOL My poor mom.

 

[chickenannie]

silkiechicken, I'm not sure what "meaties" are, but our heritage turkeys are so much more people-interactive than our chickens. They "talk" to us all the time. I wonder sometimes if they're imprinted on us since we had them as day-olds. when they were young, if we were sitting on the porch, they would climb up our arms and legs and want to roost on us for the night. When I raked leaves last fall, they were fascinated and would take turns jumping into the leaf piles that we made. They have a different behavior than chickens, but equally interesting...

 

[ivan3]

they would climb up our arms and legs and want to roost on us for the night

And they sometimes don't outgrow this and develop into lap turkeys

But, when the call of the wild makes it self heard, there's just no telling if the imprinting will be enough...

 

[chickenannie]

awww... wasn't that the name of a book ... The call of the wild (turkey).

Someone ate a turkey egg from hen #5's nest yesterday. Argh..

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
Oh, I got some bb bronze for meat. I call my meat birds all "meaties" because they aren't heritage or dual purpose birds.