my tom attacked my roo

[AHappychick]

I raised my pair of turkeys with my silkies to protect them from hawks. Everything as going great then last week I saw the poult peck at the silkie hens, I put her in time out and it stopped. Well yesterday my Tom attacked my silkie roo "fuzzy apple" he nearly killed him and not fuzzy is bald and almost scalped! I am supper po'ed and the turkeys are now locked in the pen.

I dont understand he always got along with Fuzzy they have lived together for almost 6 months.

Is is because the tom is coming of age? There will be no easy way to keep them seperate as my turkeys were allowed to roam and they can get into the silkie pen easily. I can put a cover on the pen but dont have the funds right now and frankly dont want to. But I am not willing to risk an attack again and I would like to be able to free range them is there any way to correct this behavior or should I look to rehome the turkeys?

 

[Marlinchaser]

Quote:
Can you say Thanksgiving Dinner

 

[Marlinchaser]

Do they fly over the fence to get in with the silkies? If so clip one wing, and they will be grounded.

 

[TexasVet]

Toms start to mature at about 6 months of age, which is where yours is now. And then they get mean! I finally sold mine, because we had to carry a stick where ever we went to protect ourselves. Oh, and he tried to mate with both a hen and a duck and nearly killed both of them.

Then one of my roos tried to mate with a turkey hen. That was nearly fatal as well! By the time I could rescue him, he was missing feathers, limping, and bleeding. I separated them for a couple of weeks, but as soon as I let the two of them out to free range, she was after him again.

No more turkeys for me, unless they're the only birds I have.

Kathy, Bellville TX
www.ChickenTrackin.com

 

[AHappychick]

oh Marlinchaser they are the pair you gave me and I love them and dont want to eat them, besides I have 10 BBW to eat.

yes they fly/hop over the 4 foot fence I pen the silkies in with I guess clipping their wings will work, if I make ajustents to the one side that they can hop into from the patio.....

Ok so do I just do it like I would a quail? the first row of feathers right?? I better look this up first... any one got a pic?