My Tom and Hen are fighting

[MamaHutch06]

I have a tom and hen that i have had for 1 and 1/2 years. I have never had a problem with them. Today they started fighting extremely aggressively. She is making noises and being the aggresser. They are drawing blood and the fighting looks deadly. I am extremely worried. I was able to seperate them and after 4 hours I tried to reunite them and she went at him again. He is doing well holding his own but definitely getting torn to shreds. What do I do?

 

[MeatKing]

I'm not too sure, I had the older man at the feed store, once tell me hang pie plates. In thier run. also any other sort've treat you hang to keep them busy? He told mine were figting out've being bored, but they were much younger then yours..
Wish I had more advice to offer..

 

[MamaHutch06]

Just an update in case someone else has this issue at some point and is looking for help. I kicked the chickens out of there coop and run for the day (i am sure they where exstatic to free range) and I placed the hen in there so the hen and tom would be seperate. At night time I placed her back in with him and there was a small amount of abuse but then they settled. The next day they where in the "I am not talking to you phase" with each other but no more fighting! They have not had any abuse since! Of course they have some healing to do...Poor Babies!

 

[queenturkeygirl]

either they are fighting over dominance (which if one doesn't give in they will fight to the death) or they want to mate or one is just mad at each other-- give it time, you'll have to separate (can u put some sort of divider in?) every now and then and if they don't stop after a month or 2 u might have to keep them separated or find a new home for one

 

[Happy Camper]

Mating seasoooonnn!!!! Beeeeewaaaaare!!!

I got my first 4 turkeys (1 month old) a couple days ago. The owner of my turkeys' parents told me the tom had killed the hen while mating.

 

[Celie]

Mating seasoooonnn!!!! Beeeeewaaaaare!!!

I got my first 4 turkeys (1 month old) a couple days ago. The owner of my turkeys' parents told me the tom had killed the hen while mating.

I am only in my second year with turkeys, but have never seen this with mating! I currently have 33 Holland whites and not even any fighting that injured one another. If they hurt each other like this while mating, wouldn't turkeys be an in-dangered species?

 

[MamaHutch06]

Like i said they are 1 and 1/2 and I have never seen this type of abuse before...I did seperate for the day and they have been fine since. Hope to never see it again! I do see violence when the wild toms come into the yard but never between my tom and hen. I was a very scared and worried Momma!

 

[Happy Camper]

You are much more experienced than me Celie... I just explained what a very experienced farmer told me about his turkeys. That had never happened to him before either... I tried to be funny and maybe came across to you as misleading. So never mind... I know nothing about turkeys and for a moment thought a 30 pound tom could indeed attack and kill and unwilling hen while mating. Craaaazzzzyyyyy right?


BTW ...someone , who was not me (ha,ha,ha) wrote this answer to the question: Do turkeys kill each other? On other site...

Best Answer

"A tom can kill a hen by slicing her sides open during mating with his spurs. Toms will fight and once in awhile kill each other, but NOT often".

This may also help you. Hope they get along soon.

 

[MamaHutch06]

They have been fine ever since I put them back together lol

 

[R2elk]

I am only in my second year with turkeys, but have never seen this with mating! I currently have 33 Holland whites and not even any fighting that injured one another. If they hurt each other like this while mating, wouldn't turkeys be an in-dangered species?

With as many turkeys as you have it greatly decreases the odds of a tom "accidentally" killing a hen while mating. It can be much more of a possibility if there is only one tom and one hen. It also has to be a mature tom with spurs. The typical occurrence is when the hen is sitting on a nest and the tom takes her lying down as permission to breed. Because the hen is not cooperating the tom can and does slip off of her back ripping her side open right in front of her leg at the unprotected spot at the end of her ribs..