My turkeys are driving me crazy!

[PNWMountains]

Hello all you wonderful people,

I know I need to make a newbie introduction but I wanted to post this first.

I have always wanted turkeys and now have four 3-month-old Bourbon Reds (also a newbie to chickens). I have read a little of the forums and was aware that turkeys can be very social towards humans, and I understand these little guys are just past the baby stage, but they are frequently crying and letting out LOUD distress calls whenever I get out of eyesight to the point of their voices getting hoarse. It takes them a good hour to stop racing back and forth in their pen, calm down and then start foraging a little bit. Even then, oftentimes they'll start up again a couple hours later. They get SO upset and I can hear them clear across the property. I suppose I need to learn more about their natural instincts but I figured in the wild they'd be quiet so as not to attract predators when the adults go to find food.

Their pen is about 50 feet by 25 feet with tall grass, sand, bugs, and small fruit trees so they do have a nice environment to play in and feel secure. I let them out when I'm in the yard for hours at a time and they are just SO happy then of course. I love their sweet little chirps. But as soon as I'm out of sight in the house they freak out.

How much longer will they be in this stage?
I'm about to make a life-sized cardboard cutout of myself like Marilyn did in Northern Exposure with her emu birds.





Thank you!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That's funny, they will eventually get used to being without you, though it might take a bit as you are their mommy, wait a couple of months and they will be in the teenage gang of thugs faze, flying everywhere, harassing everyone, eventually your turkeys will grow up and be enjoyable adults, but unfortunately that takes anywhere from a year to two years old, have fun in the meantime.

I forgot to add that a spent a couple of months sneaking around so mine wouldn't see me, they come running whenever they do see me, and they are a bit more noisier.

 

[memphis]

Poor babies want their moma!

Oldhenlikesdogs is right. It's a matter of time before they get used to their new digs.

Welcome to BYC! Keep us posted on the babies!

 

[feistychick]

I can definitely relate and I'll be watching this thread to see if the experts have any suggestions . I am also pretty new to turkeys and have 4 little bourbon red poults. I have one that starts "yelling" as soon as we get out of sight, and then the other 3 join in. They can raise quite the ruckus and it goes on for at least half an hour every time we walk away

I love them though - they are so sweet and I love their chirps and happy noises, they are lots of fun to have out in the yard with us. I've just been hoping that they grow out of the racket, but I'd be into any suggestions that others have about how to turn down the volume!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

So if I say PEEP, PEEP, PEEP, you would be familiar with this.

 

[memphis]

 

[PNWMountains]

Thank you all for responding.

I forgot to mention we've had them for 2 months so I thought for sure they'd be used to the routine by now. At first I was very sympathetic to the little babies definitely!
Yes there is one that is usually the loudest.

It's also frustrating when I have to chase them into their roost at dusk, especially because there is always the odd man out, though they are getting better at this, lol.

Now, the two month old baby CHICKENS however only took them a few times to understand when to go into their coop and they aren't nearly as needy as the turkeys. Oh
but the turkeys sure are adorable when they're going full speed across the yard towards me. Except when I'm trying to hide from them like you oldhenlikesdogs, haha.

Hey feistychick I sure am missing the smell of the ocean, but at least I'm only an hour's drive away tucked in the Northern Cascades.

 

[PNWMountains]

I think it's more like 'HURK HURK HURK!' Sometimes I think I hear a flock of seagulls, lol.

 

[feistychick]

So if I say PEEP, PEEP, PEEP, you would be familiar with this.

I'm pretty sure that I'm fluent in that language yes

 

[feistychick]

Hey feistychick I sure am missing the smell of the ocean, but at least I'm only an hour's drive away tucked in the Northern Cascades. 

The smell of the ocean is definitely nice in the summer, but in the winter - the mountains are a beautiful place to be!