Suddenly Aggressive Female

[DomoMommy]

New to Turkey pet ownership. Paid a neighbor to let me take her instead of her being butchered cause she would come over everyday and want to be petted for hours a day. Built a coop, decent Turkey feed. She laid eggs, everything was fine. But suddenly she turned super aggressive to everyone.

She turns red, vocalizes a very particular shortened gobble and tries to bite anyone near her. Even objects. And she will outright REFUSE to go into her coop at night. Got to throw a blanket over her head and pick her up.

She has a lot of free range to eat. Idk what breed she is, the neighbor didn’t say. But she looks EXACTLY like a wild Turkey...only bigger and her chest is much broader.

This is probably not related but she has stopped laying eggs, stopped presenting herself to me and is losing feathers like crazy. Quills are still in so they aren’t really growing back. And help would be greatly appreciated. I probably shouldn’t have taken her as I should have educated myself more. But I thought with my heart.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sounds like she's molting. I had a female turn on me during a molt, and she never knocked it off and continued to be aggressive even when her molt was done. We finally butchered her because of it. Hopefully someone can help, but in my experiences turkeys are hard to fix once they become aggressive

 

[R2elk]

You took in a broad breasted bronze. Right now she is cranky and touchy because she is molting.

Turkeys are seasonal layers. They will normally lay in the spring until they have a large enough clutch to go broody on. If their eggs are removed daily, they can keep laying until fall. My last hens finished laying the first of this month.

Aggression can also be due to a poor diet.

Food effect on aggressive turkeys

Turkewys that have been imprinted can turn human aggressive once they are mature.

They are also very social birds and will do best with the companionship of other turkeys.

 

[DomoMommy]

You took in a broad breasted bronze. Right now she is cranky and touchy because she is molting.

Turkeys are seasonal layers. They will normally lay in the spring until they have a large enough clutch to go broody on. If their eggs are removed daily, they can keep laying until fall. My last hens finished laying the first of this month.

Aggression can also be due to a poor diet.

Food effect on aggressive turkeys

Turkewys that have been imprinted can turn human aggressive once they are mature.

They are also very social birds and will do best with the companionship of other turkeys.

Thank you for your answers. I really appreciate it. My husband is thinking of butchering her cause of her biting but I’m trying everything not to have to resort to that. Thanks for the link about food and aggression, are there any tricks to adding salt and magnesium oxide to her feed? It said salt or sodium bicarbonate so maybe sprinkle some baking soda on her feed? Would this be something the feed/farm store has experience with? Maybe it’s something as simple as getting a higher quality feed?

I hope she doesn’t stay aggressive. I’ve had her go broody a couple times and get nasty and refuse to go in at night but that was only temporary. If she stays aggressive my husband will put her down, humanely of course but id still be very sad. I hope it doesn’t come to this. I’ve had for her over a year and she was fully-grown when I got her. At least I think she was.

The neighbor was planning on butchering her because she was attacking her sister from the same brood. It was only the 2 of them, so I’m hesitant to get another one in case she attacks that one too. But she was very affectionate with us. And she has a limp she was born with the neighbor said, so another bigger Turkey may bully HER. I guess I’m in over my head. But I don’t want her to die. It’s silly I know. Thank you for taking your time and helping me, I really appreciate it very much!

 

[DomoMommy]

Sounds like she's molting. I had a female turn on me during a molt, and she never knocked it off and continued to be aggressive even when her molt was done. We finally butchered her because of it. Hopefully someone can help, but in my experiences turkeys are hard to fix once they become aggressive

Thank you! That’s what I’m worried about. Her not going back to “normal”. I don’t want her to be butchered. Is she suffering or anything tho? Or does she just not like humans right now cause of molting? If she was suffering I would put her down, but if not I will try to ride it out and see. She got nasty a couple times while being broody but went back to normal so I guess I will keep my fingers crossed. Thank you so much for trying to help me, I’m very sad, so I appreciate all of you reaching out with advice and suggestions!

 

[R2elk]

Thank you for your answers. I really appreciate it. My husband is thinking of butchering her cause of her biting but I’m trying everything not to have to resort to that. Thanks for the link about food and aggression, are there any tricks to adding salt and magnesium oxide to her feed? It said salt or sodium bicarbonate so maybe sprinkle some baking soda on her feed? Would this be something the feed/farm store has experience with? Maybe it’s something as simple as getting a higher quality feed?

I hope she doesn’t stay aggressive. I’ve had her go broody a couple times and get nasty and refuse to go in at night but that was only temporary. If she stays aggressive my husband will put her down, humanely of course but id still be very sad. I hope it doesn’t come to this. I’ve had for her over a year and she was fully-grown when I got her. At least I think she was.

The neighbor was planning on butchering her because she was attacking her sister from the same brood. It was only the 2 of them, so I’m hesitant to get another one in case she attacks that one too. But she was very affectionate with us. And she has a limp she was born with the neighbor said, so another bigger Turkey may bully HER. I guess I’m in over my head. But I don’t want her to die. It’s silly I know. Thank you for taking your time and helping me, I really appreciate it very much!

I know you think you are doing right to save this turkey. Broad breasted turkeys were created to be fast growing meat to be harvested by the time they are 6 months old. She is not going to have a long life. Sooner or later she is going to develop leg and heart issues.

My recommendation is to let your husband process her. If you want to save turkeys in the future, save heritage turkeys.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thank you! That’s what I’m worried about. Her not going back to “normal”. I don’t want her to be butchered. Is she suffering or anything tho? Or does she just not like humans right now cause of molting? If she was suffering I would put her down, but if not I will try to ride it out and see. She got nasty a couple times while being broody but went back to normal so I guess I will keep my fingers crossed. Thank you so much for trying to help me, I’m very sad, so I appreciate all of you reaching out with advice and suggestions!

She's probably uncomfortable. I never figured out why mine turned aggressive. She was fine for 3 years, than she decided one day she didn't like me. I let it go for 2 more years before I had enough of it. Mine never escalated to physical attacks, mostly posturing and aggressive sounds. I carried a walking stick so she kept her distance mostly.

She may or may not calm down. Turkeys can get ideas in their heads that never leave.