Kaye's free range turkey thread

[BantamTurkey]

I recently had a very traumatic experience with my turkeys. It ended with my proven Tom dying. And the loss of my bearded eastern wild hen. I (thankfully) didn't have to start completely over. I still have my two year old Tom, Jacob. I also have two poults off of my late tom, Tom. Anyway,I got three standard bronze hens from a byc member one of them was an older hen that he said had started a moult and never came all the way out of it. She was a little smaller than the other two, and I noticed her crop was a little 'firm'. Well, we got home and her crop had swelled up huge after she ate. That night I dealt with compacted sour crop for the first time in my life. Eww. I contacted previous owner to ask if he knew about the compacted crop and he had never heard of it. Well,after this and a dose of antibiotics she has restarted her moult and is gaining weight. She is also dominant hen. I love when they come looking for me to feed them in the mornings.I am very much enjoying this free range turkey adventure. My poults are wishing I would let them out to chase bugs, as well, but I won't let them free range for a good while yet. My bantams are getting along great with them, except for the occasional rooster running my hens.

 

[Newmamabear]

How come the poults are not allowed out?

 

[BantamTurkey]

They do get to come out in the backyard to chase bugs and play, but not out of the fence like the big ones. I guess I'm just overly protective of them....

 

[BantamTurkey]

One of the hens likes to peck at Jake's wattles. Has anyone else ever seen this?? He seems to like it. It's kinda like a grooming thing. I'm curious bc I thought it was odd. Cute, but odd.

 

[Newmamabear]

Ahh, they'll be tons smarter when they're older if you let them out with the other Turks

They teach them what to be afraid of and what is okay and show them where the good stuff is to eat. My broody mama Turk single handedly taught my mail order bronze turkeys how to scavenge and find bugs. It was pretty cool to see. The hen is probably just grooming the male, if he doesn't mind then I woulden't either

 

[BantamTurkey]

Do you think the older ones would hurt them?? Imean, the pecking order is expected, but these are young and non related (well, not related to the hens). They all stay close to their roost so I'm not worried about them wondering off or anything like that, but I do worry about them getting hurt.... Overly protective

 

[BantamTurkey]

Jacob can see himself in the bumper of my step father in law'sF250. Hilarious. He seems to think this other handsome gobbler is trying to take his ladies. He walks around the front of that truck all puffed out and peedoff. Oh it's great. I will have to try to get a pic next time

 

[BantamTurkey]

And the poults are getting to free range a little everyday. They love it

 

[Newmamabear]

I think there may be some pecking order established, there always is, so it's to be expected. It's not a bad thing because usually free range birds know that young poults or chicks are not real hazards like a hawk or coyote and if they are not competing for needed resources like food and water and physical space then it's a non issue. They get to be the boss because they are the oldest or strongest but with that comes the responsibility of keeping an eye out for everyone, they are the ones that go to battle with the real threats so they get to keep everyone in line and make the rules. It's a little hard to watch at times but if you sit and watch them you'll usually find they work it out without bloodshed. There's always the exception with some flocks but at my house this has never been the case

 

[BantamTurkey]

There wasn't even that much of a problem with the pecking order. I was worried for nothing. I usually am. The poults just kind of knew to stay close but not too close