Raising Turkeys with Kids

[rmonge00]

Hello,

I have an 18 month old son who loves my chickens and chases them around. I am now raising turkeys and I am about to start letting them out of the coop to free-range. Should I be concerned about the turkeys being aggressive towards my son? Anyone have any experiences, good or bad? Any steps I should take to make the turkeys tamer?

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[frank53061]

Sorry no personal experience with small children and Turkeys together.
Turkeys do seem to peck at almost any thing to taste it that could be a problem.
Best to monitor both the Turkeys and the Child they both tend to get into trouble LOL.

 

[Frosty]

Turkeys are very attracted to shiney objects... that could include eyes. I wouldn't leave them alone together.

 

[Oregon Blues]

I'm curious as to why you allow your child to torment the poultry? I don't know if turkeys will retaliate to the mistreatment, but you'd better not get geese, because they'd put your child in his place and he'd probably get hurt.

 

[LukeandAli]

I don't think the boy is tormenting the chickens. He's probably chasing them around the same way they would chase him around.

OP, I don't have turkeys (yet) either, but, a good friend of ours has turkeys and his grandkids love them. If you have an aggresive tom or a broody hen, I'd keep the kids away. Other than that, I think you should be ok.

 

[Narragansett]

I agree with Oregon Blues. The chickens are being tormented by being chased by the child. Some people may find that cute, but I don't like to expose my animals to any unnecessary stress just for the sake of giggles. Especially with the hot weather that we've been having in a lot of the country, that is certainly not in the birds' best interest.

Despite how advanced most owners believe their children to be, no 18 month old is aware enough to be trusted alone with animals. It's still not to early to begin to teach him responsibility though, and that begins by not allowing him to chase animals for fun. I have seen turkeys be attracted to children's eyes, just at their own eye level, and attempt to peck at them, as someone else noted. It's not impossible to keep turkeys while having small children, as many responsible parents who are also poultry owners do. They simply keep them seperate, or supervise the children closely when they are with the birds.

 

[rmonge00]

Wow!! Just wanted some simple advice - not accusations... Thanks.

 

[chicken pickin]

I think some of you are responding uneccesarilly rude. And a baby following chickens is not torment. And yes I believe he should be taught now to be around the animals so he can learn like a child should. To the original OP I have 3 kids ages 9, 6, and 5 and everyday for a vist comes my 2 neices ages 6, and 2 and a nephew age 4 I have dogs rabbits chickens and turkeys and all the kids are allowed to interact with all the animals (well watched mind everyone so I dont get scolded also). sometimes the kids do follow the chickens on occasion a chase. But our chickens absolutely love the kids, jump up in chairs with them, follow them around the yard, eat from their hands. It is the great farm experience I love to watch my kids have. They love this just like us. And no mother should be scolded from a stranger because her baby loves his chickens.

As for your original question my turkeys are still young so I dont have an answer about raising them with kids but just watch as they grow together and stay close by . Animals are animals and one may not be very nice but ive heard great things about turkey. Good luck.

 

[Kanga77510]

My kids wandered the yard with the chickens and turkeys and didn't have an issue. My kids are older though, 5 and 8. They liked to chase the chickens around and I put a stop to that.

The bigger issue started when we processed and dressed the turkeys for dinner. The kids didn't want to eat Lenny or George.

 

[LydiaB]

"chasing" by a toddler isn't usually meant to be mean. My little brother likes to pick up and pet the chickens. He has been doing it since he was about 18 months. He is very gentle with them, and if he isn't he is corrected. He just loves animals and likes to touch them.