Toms are jousting..

[chick a chick a bang bang]

Hello! This is the first year we have had turkeys. We have 4 toms and 6 hens in a LARGE fenced in area. We have been noticing lately they toms are all squaring off, trying to get as tall as they can,then jumping up and kicking each other. I'm guessing they are doing this to figure out they rank...any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[thaiturkey]

From my limited experience, you are on the right track. Also from my limited experience, you may have worse to come! I think that we both need more hens per tom.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Yes they are just setting up the pecking order. We just let them sort it out themselves and keep an eye on them that they don't any major damage to each other.

Steve

 

[litterbitt]

Have you seen the turkey "b*tch-slap" yet?? It's really fast like turkey kung fu. Makes me laugh! Mine went at it a bit when I got the new grownup guy the other day, but it didn't last at all, my juvenile turkey just backed down. I expect it will happen every so often as my turkeys get older.

Liz

edited cause they didn't like my bad word.

 

[OmaBird]

Its my young ones that fight all day. My older ones mellow out. It seems more of a hormone thing than a pecking order on my turkeys.

 

[chick a chick a bang bang]

I guess we'll have to keep an eye on them..we are selling them for Thanksgiving, and I don't want them to kick the crap out of each other!