turkey,,or not?

[Billy-jean]

I am pondering the idea of adding a turkey to my menagerie(hobby farm) I want to know if they are fairly docile with other animals and children...
I have 2 mini pygmy goats,6 hens 1 rooster(silkies) 7 ducks(4 being calls) and 1 flemish giant rabbit.

I would love to add a turkey but don't know if they get along with others..and if they are aggressive..??

 

[junkprospector]

i think our turkey (he is a Broad Breasted Bronze tom) is the most doscile of our birds. We have a mix of other laying hens, but the turkey is probably the most friendly. All the hens are pretty nice, none peck at the kids - but the turkey is more curious than the hens, so he'll wander over to see whats going on while all the hens run away. The kids can pet him and when he was littler they could pick him up and hold him - but not any more. I think a turkey would be a good mix to throw into your little farm!

 

[Billy-jean]

I was told that they would jump over my fencing(5 feet) and run away! and that the males would try to 'mate' with other animals..is this false?
I really like the idea of a male strutting around

I was offered a Ridley bronze heritage breed...
other people also told me that turkey's aren't smart and would drown if given any water..?...

I have a small pond in my enclosure for my ducks..

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I have 6 foot chain link fencing and I'm constantly finding one or more of my 4 my turkeys either roosting on top of the fence or on the outside. The good news is that the one that is outside seems to spend all of its time trying to figure out how to get back in. However, don't count on a 5 foot fence keeping them in their place. I think you'd either have to put netting over the top or trimming their flight feathers.

 

[junkprospector]

i think it also depends on the breed. a broad breasted turkey can't fly... at least i have never even seen mine jump - let alone fly. i have several roosts, anywhere from 1 foot to 5 feet off the ground to give my big guy some options for roosting at night... but he won't even roost on the 1 footer. needless to say with the BBB lack of vertical abilities - i don't worry about him jumping over my fencing.

Regarding the water - i think it depends on the age of the turkey. i think a poult with that much water might be worrisome. on the other hand, an older bird - say over 9 weeks of age - i think would be fine with a pond in the enclosure.

 

[Billy-jean]

Are any of you familiar with the ridley bronze heritage turkeys,and their mannerism?

 

[Billy-jean]

and would trimming the flight feathers work??

 

[Fat Man]

I trim the flight feathers on our Bourbon Red and it keeps her inside a seven foot fence, so far. We were slow getting them trimmed once and found her on the goat shed roof one night. Our neighbors bronze hens can jump a 4 ft. fence no problem with their wings trimmed.

 

[cluck cluck 123]

Turkeys are very docile but you might want to separate him from the chickens or he might get black head.

 

[redstar14]

I knew a fellow chicken enthusiast and their turkey attacked a pit bull and won