Lonely Turkey?

[ReLearning2Live]

We just today picked up a started Broad Breasted White turkey, 6 weeks old, and he/she is our very first turkey. The intention was Thanksgiving dinner (well, more like Easter or next Thanksgiving with the timing), but this darn turkey is just adorable! It loves people and cries constantly if not being paid attention to. We finally got tired and had to come in. It's out for the day (will be in for the night, getting chilly here at night) in the chicken hutch so it can hopefully start to get friendly with the chickens as they free-range around him/her until the day we let him/her out to mingle.

Our question is do we go right now back to the hatchery and buy another 6 week old companion for this turkey or will he/she finally settle down and not cry constantly? Will the chickens be good companions? We just feel so bad for it. *sigh We had no idea they were so intelligent and naturally friendly - wish we had known

Thanks all!

 

[sourland]

Yes, you must buy another or maybe two or three or four. It's called 'turkey math'.

OK, to be serious it would probably enjoy the company of another turkey, but as long as the chickens are not picking on it may very well become part of that flock.

 

[ReLearning2Live]

Ok, great...correction, it's now sleeping in my lap because it was crying so hard it was going hoarse and the husband brought it back in. Oh boy...we're in trouble.

*edit to add: The hatchery is a 45 min drive one way.

 

[ivan3]

Our BB's were the most sociable/needy. They are also the most prone to most every sort of insult owing to their breeding (in conjunction with gravity ). Bred, indeed, for doom and dinner and little else. If you decide not to eat it. Make sure it forages more on the range than from the feeder in the coop/run (keeping wt. down really helps). Some members have, IIRC, kept hens for ~7 years/toms for 3-5yrs.

Will probably take a couple of weeks to adjust to new environment. Let it sleep inside and take it out every morning to run. Ours quit `calling to mama' after about two weeks of transitioning.

If you like the turks get your BB a couple of heritage poults to keep it company. our first RP tom/Slate hen are still going strong at 7.5yrs.

 

[ReLearning2Live]

That's a great suggestion - about getting a few heritage to keep it company - do Toms and Roosters get along? My rooster does not get along with other roosters, that much I know.

 

[ivan3]

Depends on the individual toms and roos. Our turks arrived after the chooks were established. All these years later, the chooks (roo or hens) simply have to move towards the turks and and turks get out of their way. However, some folks have lost chicken hens to amorous toms and roos have been known to drive toms to break wings trying to escape from persistent flogging (in enclosed runs). Large runs with outdoor roosts at about 3-4 feet help. Be aware the heritage will fly quite a bit during the first year, or so.

The are sociable, intelligent (way too curious) and easy going 95% of the time.

 

[chicken pickin]

Your BBW will prob be ready for thanksgiving this year especally if its a tom they grow huge fast. Be carefull spendng to much time with them they are extremely eay to fall in love with I ignored most of the cries while they were in the brooder and they settled down. I have 2 BBWs that are 18weeks old and are due to be processes like yesterday lol the tom is very large. I also agree with getting heritage turkeys. After I realized I liked my dinner

I got 5 Bourbon Reds to keep around as pets and too breed and sell some poults. I try to focus more on them so I wont be too sad when the time comes for the BBWs. If you decide not to get more turkeys I think the turkey will settle in fine with the chickens just make sure he is the same size before putting him in with them or do suppervised meetings.

 

[ReLearning2Live]

Yeah, ours are free-range so I think if there was a squabble we'd know about it and be able to intervene before anything too bad happened. Guess all we can do is try!

Just wanted to update about this new little turkey - he/she (we've come to calling it a "him" for some reason) cuddled with us during the severe storms last night and watched a movie and listened to us read a few chapters of Charlotte's Web to the kids Then spent the night in his box. This morning he went out with the chickens and they seem to be letting him forage on the outskirts - he is happy and not crying for "mama" anymore!
On an odd side note - our rooster seems to be protective of him! Everytime we come out to check on the turkey the rooster gets all upitty when we pet him. He actually attacked my husband yesterday when he was holding the turkey! That earned him 20 minutes of corporal cuddling. lol

So, just for future people searching - if you have a lone BBW that is crying for mama over and over constantly - just hold him until he's sleepy, put him up for the night and then try to integrate him with the chickens - it worked for us anyway! Best of luck!

Thanks again everyone!