I think I've read every behavior turkey thread on BYC and I haven't quite found the answer.
I have two broad breasted Turkeys that I'm in love with. Dora (the explorer) and Giblets. Both are 2 months old and pretty big. They both strut though Dora doesn't do it as long or often as Giblets does. Dora is the smaller of the two and is developing similar "facial features" but not as prominent as Giblets. I'dm thinking that Dora is indeed a female and Giblets is a male, though they both could be males I guess.
Yesterday they were dancing together, almost kissing and wrapping their necks around each other. One would sit down while the other strutted then they would switch. But then they started grabbing each others necks and skin and pulling it down. Not exactly sure what this is all about. The next day I noticed they both had some small blood scabs on their faces. They both get along GREAT otherwise. Best friends. I'm curious if this is a pecking order type ritual or the beginning of a mating ritual. Though I think at 2 mths old they are still to young for that. At what age would I expect to see sexual advances and such? And what in the heck was this dance about??
I also bought a white broad breasted turkey a month after I bought these two since I was so in love with them. However in retrospect I shouldn't had done it. Now I'm having a hard time introducing the newbie to the 2 mth olds. They like to strut and kick the poor thing so I have them separated. I have been trying to put the new one, (Name: Gravy) in a cage in the 2mths old cage but they still pick on her when they can. I think she is a female since she has never strutted and the first two did when they were only a week old. Right now Gravy is with the chickens I purchased at the same time and she is so much at ease with them. However I really want to put all 3 turkeys together. How do I introduce them without stressing Gravy out?
Thank you all for your help.
I have two broad breasted Turkeys that I'm in love with. Dora (the explorer) and Giblets. Both are 2 months old and pretty big. They both strut though Dora doesn't do it as long or often as Giblets does. Dora is the smaller of the two and is developing similar "facial features" but not as prominent as Giblets. I'dm thinking that Dora is indeed a female and Giblets is a male, though they both could be males I guess.
Yesterday they were dancing together, almost kissing and wrapping their necks around each other. One would sit down while the other strutted then they would switch. But then they started grabbing each others necks and skin and pulling it down. Not exactly sure what this is all about. The next day I noticed they both had some small blood scabs on their faces. They both get along GREAT otherwise. Best friends. I'm curious if this is a pecking order type ritual or the beginning of a mating ritual. Though I think at 2 mths old they are still to young for that. At what age would I expect to see sexual advances and such? And what in the heck was this dance about??
I also bought a white broad breasted turkey a month after I bought these two since I was so in love with them. However in retrospect I shouldn't had done it. Now I'm having a hard time introducing the newbie to the 2 mth olds. They like to strut and kick the poor thing so I have them separated. I have been trying to put the new one, (Name: Gravy) in a cage in the 2mths old cage but they still pick on her when they can. I think she is a female since she has never strutted and the first two did when they were only a week old. Right now Gravy is with the chickens I purchased at the same time and she is so much at ease with them. However I really want to put all 3 turkeys together. How do I introduce them without stressing Gravy out?
Thank you all for your help.
