Somewhat aggressive Tom, worries for the future!

[RhymeOrReason]

We’ve had our sweet baby Winnie for a couple months now, and for a while, he was absolutely the sweetest. Constantly begging to be held, cuddled, and would always come running any time he heard our voice from around the yard. Unfortunately, the older that he’s gotten, the more human aggression he’s shown, and he’s starting to do a weird ‘herding’ behavior with his wings around the chickens where he pushes them around with a wing outstretched, which, when I looked it up, is said to be a mating behavior? He’ll flop down into a “Turkey loaf” at our feet for pets and cuddles, but when he’s not loafed, he’ll get jealous of the other chickens for our attention and will pinch and bite our fingers, legs and sleeves. He’s mainly focused all his aggression on my mom, but recently he’s genuinely hurt me for the first time by grabbing my finger and refusing to let go.

Is there any way we can keep him from not only hurting us, but from hurting the chickens? I adore him so much, and I could never cull him; even though it would hurt, I’d be willing to rehome him if we had to, but I want to keep him if possible.

 

[sourland]

Get him several turkey hens. This all sounds like misdirected mating behavior, and it will very likely get worse as he matures.

 

[RhymeOrReason]

How much time do we have to get the enclosure expanded and to get some hens? Right now we don’t have enough space for more turkeys, but I’ve been saving up to expand the run and coop space. Technically we have enough land that they could free range, but we don’t have any fencing and we have coyotes, bears, hawks and owls that are out and about, so I don’t think they’d be safe if free ranged.

Get him several turkey hens. This all sounds like misdirected mating behavior, and it will very likely get worse as he matures.

 

[cmobley]

I had a big tom that acted this same way. I kept thinking he'd stop or get better. He hit my son chased my wife and daughter then spurred me. He's in the freezer now.

 

[R2elk]

He’ll flop down into a “Turkey loaf” at our feet for pets and cuddles

This is hen behavior when submitting to be bred. Are you sure that you have a tom? Posting pictures would help identify the sex. You would not be the first person to misidentify the sex of their turkey.

You have a human imprinted turkey. All the human aggressive turkeys that I have had to deal with are that way because they lose the ability to understand that people aren't turkeys when they are human imprinted.

 

[RhymeOrReason]

This is hen behavior when submitting to be bred. Are you sure that you have a tom? Posting pictures would help identify the sex. You would not be the first person to misidentify the sex of their turkey.

You have a human imprinted turkey. All the human aggressive turkeys that I have had to deal with are that way because they lose the ability to understand that people aren't turkeys when they are human imprinted.

Pics of Winnie (+ cameos from Kai and Millie)

We think Winnie’s a boy since they’ve gobbled and routinely strut

 

[R2elk]

View attachment 3279034View attachment 3279036
Pics of Winnie (+ cameos from Kai and Millie)

We think Winnie’s a boy since they’ve gobbled and routinely strut

That is a hen. It is normal for hens to strut.

 

[RhymeOrReason]

That is a hen. It is normal for hens to strut.

Are hens able to gobble then? Winnie has gobbled several times. I’ve heard stories about hens gobbling, but this is the first time I’ve seen it happen if so

 

[R2elk]

I have have heard the claim that people say they have a hen that gobbles. I have never heard a hen gobble. They do make some sounds that inexperienced people could mistake for a gobble.

 

[RhymeOrReason]

I have have heard the claim that people say they have a hen that gobbles. I have never heard a hen gobble. They do make some sounds that inexperienced people could mistake for a gobble.

I might’ve mistaken it since Winnie does it so infrequently; usually after perking up from hearing a weird noise, like a truck passing by, is when they’ll make the gobble-sound. I don’t have any recordings of it unfortunately