Male turkeys brutally fighting

[DuckDuckSook]

Sounds like you human imprinted him. That is normal behavior for a human imprinted tom.

True. He was raised by people as were the hens. Looking back, I should have just gotten all hens for my situation.

 

[Jamorem]

It's breeding season. You have two equal toms. It is going to take time for them to settle their differences. The more you interfere, the longer it will take them.

It is a really bad idea to brood turkeys with chickens. The imprinting causes the turkeys to lose the ability to understand that the chickens are not turkeys.

You need to separate those toms from the chickens. The next thing that is going to happen is those toms are going to start killing the chickens by trying to breed them.

Do not rehome those toms to someone who only has chickens.

I didn’t brood them with the chickens, my chicken flock was prexisting and I mingled them together when the turkeys were a few months old.

 

[Jamorem]

He's with chickens and so far so good according to my friend. He never went after any of my chickens here, but they didn't co-habitat. They did free-range together though. I found him to just be particularly protective of the turkey hens. That being said, he also attacked one until she almost didn't make it. I did nurse her back to health, but that was the last straw for me. I love my hens too much and now everyone seems so much happier, including the tom.

Thanks for the help. Appreciate it.

 

[DuckDuckSook]

I didn’t brood them with the chickens, my chicken flock was prexisting and I mingled them together when the turkeys were a few months old.

Mine also weren't in the brooder with chickens. They joined my flock when they were a few months old as well. But again, didn't live with the chickens, just next door and free-range.

 

[Jamorem]

Mine also weren't in the brooder with chickens. They joined my flock when they were a few months old as well. But again, didn't live with the chickens, just next door and free-range.

Yeah I guess, they do live with the chickens though they weren’t raised together.