Turkey Attacking Me. What to do?

[RRMSG]

fight back

 

[RRMSG]

Thanks this is very good advice. We didn't know he was broad breasted until he grew way bigger than our other turkeys.
Are gray slate turkeys okay as pets?? We know they're meat birds

@R2elk Do you know how long BBBs live on average?

 

[blackandtan]

My bbb Choochie is 6 this year - 70lbs and still going strong!
He likes me but isn’t a fan of most other people, but doesn’t do anything mean. His bbb “wife” is 5

 

[RRMSG]

My bbb Choochie is 6 this year - 70lbs and still going strong!
He likes me but isn’t a fan of most other people, but doesn’t do anything mean. His bbb “wife” is 5

Really?? That gives us hope

 

[BReeder!]

My bbb Choochie is 6 this year - 70lbs and still going strong!
He likes me but isn’t a fan of most other people, but doesn’t do anything mean. His bbb “wife” is 5

That's bigger than our dog... Lol.

 

[R2elk]

@R2elk Do you know how long BBBs live on average?

BBBs in the vast majority are not alive past 6 months due to being processed. With a good diet and exercise program they can easily live in excess of 3 years. It is not uncommon for many to die from heart issues at less than 2 years old. Improper feed (insufficient lysine, methionine, niacin and thiamine) can cause irreparable damage especially to the legs.

There is one known case of a former BYC member having a BB living until 10 years old. Such cases are exceptions and not the norm.

 

[Tye Freeman]

We are keeping a BBB as a pet. He is three and a half months old, and was fine until recently.
Recently, his snood and caruncles have been turning red when we try to move him somewhere, and he puffs up and starts biting us, establishing dominance I think? He hasn't broke skin yet, but his bites are worse by the day.

Any advice? Do we have to get rid of him?

 

[R2elk]

Are gray slate turkeys okay as pets??

Blue Slate are heritage turkeys. I have had a hen live until 11 years old before she was taken from her hidden nest by a predator.

 

[KF0002]

I personally would eat him but that may not he the best answer if he's a pet. Any aggressive poultry gets the killing cone at my house. As much as I would love to tell you that he could get less aggressive, it will likely just continue to get worse. Once aggressive, always aggressive from my experience with turkeys and chickens. I had a pet Eastern wild turkey tom that I adored! I raised him and spoiled him and gave him treats and he had a very large backyard to graze in. I was trying to locate him some hens one spring when he turned on me and attacked me every time he saw me. I had dusted him for mites and after that I guess he felt I never could be trusted again. We were eventually going to eat him but that winter it had snowed and a tree fell in the back 40 and tore down our fence and the turkey escaped. Never to be seen again.

In retrospect I realize the problem was that he had imprinted on me and not his own kind and thought of me as an adversary. Its usually not good for male turkeys to imprint on people. It leads to aggression and attacking.