Turkey Talk for 2014

[R2elk]

So my BR hen is finally starting to lay a clutch of eggs and is up to 9, but every time she goes to her nest to lay number 10, my big BR tom "Chester" runs over and tries to breed with her. And in the process always breaks at least one egg. UGGGGGG. I really need to get more hens to keep him occupied for times like this

Or do the smart thing and separate him from her before he hurts or kills her.

 

[Corny Caleb]

Or do the smart thing and separate him from her before he hurts or kills her.

naturally that's what I wish I could do. But I don't have another turkey pen. And I don't want to put him with my chickens for risk of disease. He isn't coming even close to injuring her, it's just annoys her and she walks away.

 

[Anikaanimalgirl]

0.0

 

[R2elk]

naturally that's what I wish I could do. But I don't have another turkey pen. And I don't want to put him with my chickens for risk of disease. He isn't coming even close to injuring her, it's just annoys her and she walks away.

All you have to do is put an enclosure around her nest area with an opening that is large enough for her to get through but not large enough for him to get through.

I know from personal experience that hens that have gone broody are very easy for a tom to accidentally kill. If he is trying to breed her now while she is still laying and has not yet gone broody, it is only going to get worse once she goes broody. All too often when a tom tries to mate with a non-receptive broody hen she gets her side ripped open right where she is the most vulnerable. By the time it is noticed it is usually too late to save her.

The tom may also get the idea that one of my Bourbon Red toms did. He would find the nests and intentionally smash every egg in order to get the hens back in the breeding mode.

 

[Corny Caleb]

I always find it ironic when in nature the males are always trying to kill the young so that they can go back to breeding. I know it is so that they can get their blood in the gene pool. But a lot of times it's there own offspring there killing! Thanks for he tip about the enclosure. I'll definitely try it.
I wonder what he would do if I booted him into the emu pen....?

 

[SilkieSensation]

I always find it ironic when in nature the males are always trying to kill the young so that they can go back to breeding. I know it is so that they can get their blood in the gene pool. But a lot of times it's there own offspring there killing! Thanks for he tip about the enclosure. I'll definitely try it.
I wonder what he would do if I booted him into the emu pen....?

I am gurssing the emu are bigger than him already & would probably stomp him if he acted up...lol

 

[Corny Caleb]

I am gurssing the emu are bigger than him already & would probably stomp him if he acted up...lol

there only about 3 1/2 feet tall, and surprisingly are a little timid of the turkey's lol. Even though there taller. My tom might out weigh them though

 

[SilkieSensation]

I am gurssing the emu are bigger than him already & would probably stomp him if he acted up...lol

there only about 3 1/2 feet tall, and surprisingly are a little timid of the turkey's lol. Even though there taller. My tom might out weigh them though

They might surprise you if he makes them mad & they gang up on him.

 

[sonderah]

I have a bs turkey with babies about 6-7 weeks old, and an RP turkey who just hatches babies Monday. They have 2 separate nests that they r using, but yesterday I found one of the 6 week old babies dead in the RP hens nest!!! Idk if it just died, or if she killed it! So I locked her and her babies in for the rest of yesterday & last night to keep the others from going to visit! But I can't keep them locked up forever. The older babies had all been in and out of her nest visiting and she seemed fine with it, so idk what to think!!!!

 

[SilkieSensation]

I have a bs turkey with babies about 6-7 weeks old, and an RP turkey who just hatches babies Monday. They have 2 separate nests that they r using, but yesterday I found one of the 6 week old babies dead in the RP hens nest!!! Idk if it just died, or if she killed it! So I locked her and her babies in for the rest of yesterday & last night to keep the others from going to visit! But I can't keep them locked up forever. The older babies had all been in and out of her nest visiting and she seemed fine with it, so idk what to think!!!!

Quite possible that she sees the older babies as a threat now that she has her own babies running around. If they were closer in age she probably wouldn't even notice. I would keep them apart as much as possible for a week or two until her babies are more agile & she is more comfortable with them.