Poult with hair fetish?

[brandywine]

My Narragansett and Bourbon red poults are extremely friendly and think I'm their Mommy. They will follow anyone, perch on anyone, very social. Not quite four weeks old.

One of the Narrys has now taken to perching on my shoulder and playing with my hair in a very energetic way, while making little coo-ing noises that I've never heard in any other context. He (?) gets his head way up in my hair and makes little circles in there, lolling about in it. (My hair is not quite shoulder-length, and is the longest hair the poults have seen.)

He is really into it, and very absorbed in this activity when he does it.

I have never seen exactly what he's doing, since this all goes on at the back of my head.

So, whassup with this?

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

It is preening you.

Steve

 

[brandywine]

Okay, preening, fine, makes sense, thanks -- but is that just being affectionate/sociable, or do I have a sexually confused turkey in the making?

Do turkeys engage in a lot of social grooming? My chickens, ducks, and guineas do not preen other birds. But I thought I saw one of the poults grooming another this morning when they were dust/sun bathing.

I am, in case it wasn't obvious, totally smitten with turkeys now. I really like the chickens, but the turkeys are something else again. I'm really afraid I'm going to make pets of all of them, which has not been a problem with other livestock. (Though we've avoided pigs for fear of doing so.)

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Turkeys are flock animals and curious.

I wouldn't say actually grooming more like being curious, when hand raised they look at you as the leader of the flock.

Just the way they are it's easy to get attached to them.

Steve

 

[toredano]

Its his little pacifier

Not really..heheh..That is neat tho.

I had a chicken hen that did that once in awhile.. was the oddest feeling.. gave me goosebumbs.