Turken owners help! Roo tearing hens necks open!

[gritsar]

My turken cockerel is 14 weeks old and suffering from a severe case of testosterone poisoning.
A few weeks ago he (I'm 99% certain it was him) tore open the neck of one of my turken pullets (Ivy) of the same age. It was a beak-shaped laceration. I coated the wound in pine tar twice a day for three days. On the third night I discovered that it was completely healed.
We just got home, I checked on the chooks and yet another one of my turken pullets (Mandi) has a deep, beak-shaped laceration on her neck.

I've started the pine tar routine with her.

Two questions -

Is this a common problem with turkens, that they get their necks torn open by the rooster's matings?

I intend to isolate the turken cockerel until he's recovered from his T poisoning, but I hate to do that. Anyone got any other ideas of dealing with this issue?

TIA

 

[tamelroy]

I don't own those, but I have had some roos aggressive with the hens and I got rid of them. I really am not sure about those, but to me I don't think it is the breed you just get a real mean roo at times. You may have to decide the hens or him. The hens might get so stressed from him being mean too.

Good luck!

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I have thought about this angle too, but I don't think he is mean. The other pullets (SFs, EEs, SS) have feathers to protect their necks from his beak, the turken pullets do not.

 

[ninjascrub69]

Quote:
I have thought about this angle too, but I don't think he is mean. The other pullets (SFs, EEs, SS) have feathers to protect their necks from his beak, the turken pullets do not.

Maybe you should confine him with your other pullets

until he stops mating as frequently, and becomes a little more gentle when mating

 

[gritsar]

Any other ideas?

 

[sourland]

I would suggest seperating him from those pullets until they start squatting. When they stop resisting, he will be able to mate them without causing damage. By that time he may also have improved his technique.

 

[nnbreeder]

It is a problem with youngsters, as was said seperate him till he is older. Preferably till next spring when he matures a lot. His first matings will be awkward but he will get the hang of it.

By spring he should be nearly twice the size of the hens but don't let that bother you he won't hurt the hens.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Thank you so much for your response. I hate to seperate him, but I guess that's what has to be done. I adore my NN pullets and I feel so bad for them when I have to dress their wounds.
I never intended to have a turken roo. He was a sexing accident. I think he'll be absolutely stunning when he grows up; if the little twerp lives that long.

 

[nnbreeder]

Here is a pic of one of our roosters with a hen at his side. Quite the size difference but he never puts a feather out of place when he mates.

 

[MeatKing]

We have turkerys, that were being a aggresive.. The older guy at the feed store told I to hang a tin pie plate to play with alo hanging treats like a corn on the cobor something may help.
GL