Tom Drumming?

[turkey guru]

broad breasted birds don't breed on there own,they need to I.E. them, the toms breast is to large for him to reach the hen!!! won't work sorry first you said broad breasted, now your saying standard bronze, both are dfferent tom!!!!!!!

 

[Frosty]

No, Shay1327 said LAST YEAR there were BBW, and this guy is a new addition to the farm. Just curious... what does I.E. stand for? I have heard of AI, is it the same thing?

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

yep, it's A.I.
I believe

 

[Shay1327]

Nope, don't have any BB Bronze this year. He's a standard. I want to move away from the BB's and raise a heritage flock.

 

[turkey guru]

it is AI ,I rasied some bb hens and used a wild tom to breed them!! was a hassle, hens to big, leg problems all poults had them!! tom!

 

[ivan3]

Frosty wrote: I believe that I read somewhere that in the wild flocks, the dominant tom will mount a hen, and the others stand by. But if a strange tom wanders in and tries to challenge, the toms standing by will defend the dominant tom.

Pretty interesting how they work it out:

Krakauer's info page with vid: http://web.mac.com/ahkrakauer/Site/Dissertation_Research.html

The research: http://www.eve.ucdavis.edu/gpatricelli/Assets/Krakauer_Nature_2005.pdf

Probably related to drumming (same physiological mechanism operating to serve as a response to potential threat?) and rather unusual: Went out to check on the turks/chooks one night in the middle of winter. The temp. was about 0° F and the ground was like a skating rink. I slipped and took a header into the wall of the turkey shed. Turks, as a rule, sleep hard and deep, I'd startled them awake. I heard a very low, steady, `growl' coming from inside the shed. What caught my attention was that the frequency of the `drum/growl' (barely audible) caused the metal cover of the light fixture inside the shed to vibrate against a metal roof bracket, resonating like a tuning fork fabricated from pot metal. When I managed to get back up, and open the shed door, the two Slate toms (sleep on floor - poor eyesight - can't roost) looked up at me bleary eyed, not even bothering to stand up. The others looked down as if to say close that door, it's cold!

Can't recall ours engaged in standard drumming vocalization. Pretty much just chuff&strut.​