Odd behavior

[ghigbee]

I have a Blue Slate (?) turkey hen who hangs out free range with my chicken hens and roosters (mostly Blue Marans). If my wife or I are out in the yard she will often find us, come within a few or couple of feet of us and just sit down as if she's going to lay. When she's like this she will allow you to stroke her feathers. This seems strange to me. Any ideas?

 

[Breac]

This is perfectly normal behavior. It simply means your turkey is extremely fond of you. That little pose is the one they take when they want to be bred with. If there's no tom turkey around, a hen might try to find a substitute in her beloved owner. My hen Jenny did the same thing towards my dad for years until we got a tom.

 

[ColbyNTX]

Get a Tom, she wants one!

 

[ghigbee]

Thank you very much for the info. I was worried about her. Now I'll take the advice and find her a Tom.

 

[Blisschick]

I have two hens that are extremely docile towards me, and when I go into the pen, they'll present for me way before they'll do so for the tom. It's really weird how they'll only do that when I'm around, like my presence is a trigger for the behavior. A third won't let me touch her, but she'll act the same way. One of has always been very attached to me, from the moment she was hatched, so I guess she's imprinted on me and thinks I'm Momma. She's a true lap turkey.