My Sweet Hen...Not so anymore...WHYYY????

[Caseyluvschickens1]

So I have this 8 mo old BBW. She is the sweetest thing. Loves petted follows us around, so sweet. My daughter (7) has a friend over A few weeks back that Loretta really didn't like for some reason. She would fluff up and maik these god-awful noises.My daughter of course took up for her friend. Now Loretta fluffs up anytime my child is outside and my daughter is too fearful to even go outside. My husband as well. She will typically sit right next to him or follow him around when he's doing chores outside and she now fluffs up and charges at him as well. My husband is going to eat her if it keeps up but I'm devastated. Is there anything I can do and why did this happen???

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

So I have this 8 mo old BBW. She is the sweetest thing. Loves petted follows us around, so sweet. My daughter (7) has a friend over A few weeks back that Loretta really didn't like for some reason. She would fluff up and maik these god-awful noises.My daughter of course took up for her friend. Now Loretta fluffs up anytime my child is outside and my daughter is too fearful to even go outside. My husband as well. She will typically sit right next to him or follow him around when he's doing chores outside and she now fluffs up and charges at him as well. My husband is going to eat her if it keeps up but I'm devastated. Is there anything I can do and why did this happen???

 

[R2elk]

So I have this 8 mo old BBW. She is the sweetest thing. Loves petted follows us around, so sweet. My daughter (7) has a friend over A few weeks back that Loretta really didn't like for some reason. She would fluff up and maik these god-awful noises.My daughter of course took up for her friend. Now Loretta fluffs up anytime my child is outside and my daughter is too fearful to even go outside. My husband as well. She will typically sit right next to him or follow him around when he's doing chores outside and she now fluffs up and charges at him as well. My husband is going to eat her if it keeps up but I'm devastated. Is there anything I can do and why did this happen???

It sounds like you have a human imprinted hen. She does not understand that there is a difference between people and turkeys. You are her flock.

Her place in the pecking order has been challenged. She is "putting" the other members of her flock in their place.

Let your husband invite her to dinner. Next time that you want a turkey for a pet, get a heritage variety and do not human imprint it. Get more than one. Turkeys are very social birds and need companionship from their own kind.

 

[Molpet]

BB are prone to leg and heart problems and were Heartbreakers when I tried to keep as a pet.
I had to invite all my human imprinted turkeys to dinner because of human aggression. I started over the next year, 2017 and have not had any issues since.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I just had this happen with my turkey Tom and my grandson. He would fluff up and chase and kick at him
So I talked to my breeder
She said redirect him
He loves to be cuddled so when he got all fluffed up I started to pet him and he immediately calmed and climbed a n my lap for cuddles
I lifted him onto my grandsons lap and he pet him for 10-15 mins
We did this several times on day 1
Day 2 he was following my grandson around for cuddles with zero aggression
The kids were here for 10 days and he was their best friend
Anytime he was close to then they pet him and he would climb on the lap and snuggle in
It’s not that yours didn’t like the friend she was being protective of your daughter
Then when she tried to protect the friend it felt like a challenge to the turkey
Just work with her
Have new people come and bring the bird to them to pet and hold
That way she doesn’t see them as threats
Good luck
This was day 3 or 4 for my Tom with my grandson
I was able to let the kids run around the yard on their own with zero issues

 

[R2elk]

I just had this happen with my turkey Tom and my grandson. He would fluff up and chase and kick at him
So I talked to my breeder
She said redirect him
He loves to be cuddled so when he got all fluffed up I started to pet him and he immediately calmed and climbed a n my lap for cuddles
I lifted him onto my grandsons lap and he pet him for 10-15 mins
We did this several times on day 1
Day 2 he was following my grandson around for cuddles with zero aggression
The kids were here for 10 days and he was their best friend
Anytime he was close to then they pet him and he would climb on the lap and snuggle in
It’s not that yours didn’t like the friend she was being protective of your daughter
Then when she tried to protect the friend it felt like a challenge to the turkey
Just work with her
Have new people come and bring the bird to them to pet and hold
That way she doesn’t see them as threats
Good luck
This was day 3 or 4 for my Tom with my grandson
I was able to let the kids run around the yard on their own with zero issues

You need to keep a very close watch on that tom. When he is mature and in breeding season, he is not to be trusted.

 

[nuthatched]

my grandson

For some reason, I always thought you were 16-21 years old.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

You need to keep a very close watch on that tom. When he is mature and in breeding season, he is not to be trusted.

Breeding time they will be separated into closed areas

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

For some reason, I always thought you were 16-21 years old.

Add 30 years onto the 21
I have 5 grandkids
Oldest is 8 almost 9 and youngest is almost a year

 

[nuthatched]

Add 30 years onto the 21
I have 5 grandkids
Oldest is 8 almost 9 and youngest is almost a year

Oh wow! How nice. :]