I’m fairly certain I speak for most on this site when I say this- if one thing is for certain, it’s that “poultry people” LOVE talking about birds! So don’t worry about asking to many questions. If they got irritated from that, I would’ve been exiled long ago.I've really enjoyed gleaning much-needed knowledge from these recent posts! Can't properly express my gratitude.Thanks to all!
Our first poults are doing great, as is the Silkie who accompanies them.Hopefully I'm not annoying anyone with endless questions, but here comes another!
The hatchery had kept these youngsters in a brooder for two weeks until they were spoken for. I'm assuming they received little to no socialization, due to the fact they shy away from hands very slightly. Are they too old to imprint on us?
We've been to hand feeding, and allowing them to perch on our shoulders. It seems there's a slight improvement since.
~Alex
As for the poults- I never had any that weren’t freshly hatched, and I haven’t had any birds for twenty years prior to 2018, so I’m no pro here but I do believe it’s too late to imprint, as I understand imprinting, in its technical form, takes place immediately or shortly after hatching. Now bonding is an entirely different story. I do think with patience and time you’ll get there if you’re determined enough. I say this because of the many, many stories I’ve read where turkeys endured horrible things at the hands of humans at a commercial processing farm and in the case they get rescued they become sweet and bonded with humans regardless of their past human experiences. So it’s my novice belief that you stand a chance of getting them tame. A good chance. Turkeys inherently love people. It sounds like they have good and loving owners and I bet they will turn out to be sweethearts, attached to their humans.
My birds (going on 11 weeks) are VERY attached to me but shy away from everyone else- especially strangers. So there’s a chance you’ll run into this with them if you get them tame.
