Turkeys as pets??

[asher]

Yeah, I have been planning to as well. Just waiting to find the poults that I want.

A friend had a very imprinted tom and I loved him. I do want at least one tom (just the sound of them makes me smile), but also a few girls for him so that he doesn't imprint too much on us to his detriment.

 

[Meesh]

I have Bourbon Reds on order, and am hoping for a Tom. They make nice yard ornaments - very decorative - way better than garden gnomes.

Anyone else watch the South Park episode with Gobbles? I heart Timmy 'n Gobbles.

Cheers,
Michelle

 

[mtnchicks]

We have 4 poults that will be pets. I ordered two Royal Palms thru the feed store, and when I went to pick them up, the guys pointed out the ones that were supposed to be RPs. I said a couple of times "are you SURE those are Royal Palms?" because they didn't look anything like the pictures I had seen. They assured me they were, I took them home, and we became really attached. Then two days later I had a call from the feed store telling me they had made a terrible mistake. They had given me Spanish blacks! They had my RPs, and told me to keep the first two for free. The kids and I were so attached to the first two, so we now have 4 total. So far we love them. I always wanted to have turkeys as pets. Anytime I was around turkeys they were always friendly and curious. We live in a small town, so they will mostly be penned unless we are in the yard. I will have to clip a wing on each to keep them from flying into the neighbors' yards and being a nuisance.

 

[chickenannie]

I agree with the above posts... I really like having 6 turkeys (RB) wander about the farm yard and around the house. My hens have never caused any trouble except they occassionally wander to the market about 400 yards away, so I pen them up just once a week on market days. they are so tame, I can reach under them and pick up a baby chick without them blinking an eye.

My tom is great, like a dog, he sleeps on my porch or the fence post like a guard dog. Now that his hens are off the nest, he hangs with them again. He runs alongside cars (not ours, just guests) like a bat out of .... for some reason. And people are terrified of him when they pull up in a car because all the friendly hens and toms rush over to see what treats they will be given. People seem nervous until they realize the turkeys are just curious and want to know what they're up to.

They are smart too.

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
That one has me worried.... did they not like their reflections and try to fight them? Tell me that's not all turkeys!!!

I have two 8 week old bbb and they will follow me around when I am home. They are great so far, and I'd keep them if they weren't destined for dinner.

 

[NoelTate]

My dad bought me 3 baby white turkeys several years back. I got lucky and had 1 tom and 2 hens. Theywere very tame. Unfortunately, we had really crappy rental neighbors at the time whose dog killed my two hens. I had the tom until that NOV. He was really sweet and would follew us around like a dog. He disappeared the day before Thanksgiving, so I think those awful neighbors stole him and ate him for Thanksgiving. They got kicked out shortly after that. Since then, the guy got killed, so I guess he got his just desserts. I hope they all choked and got sick off Tom, though. He was a wonderful pet. Now I have a young broadbreasted bronze that I think is a hen. Hoping to get a lavender to go with her.

 

[Poison Ivy]

My daughter wanted to keep one of the blue slates we hatched out about a month ago. It is so sweet and so calm and it's best friends with a little serama chick. They follow each other around the pen. I'm hoping it's a female so she can stay in the main pen with the chickens.

 

[sue3]

We have a Kentucky Bourbon Red tom that we bought as an adult bird. He is afraid of being touched, but you can walk near him no problem. Last summer we hatched out heritage Mottled Blacks, and some assorted palms. Our experience is that the mottled blacks have been calmer and less flightly than the palm types around us. Raised from chicks though they were all good around people for us so far. We did have to pen them though as they took to hanging around the house to be near us and as others have said they are big poop machines! Not fun on the sidewalk, yard and steps up to the house. We have enjoyed having them a lot though as the toms do display for us most of the time that we are around them. I find them a good pet for kids say ages 8 and up because of their large size. I have enjoyed them more than chickens as pet.

 

[KsTornado11]

I've always had great luck ,as long as they were hand raised from babies. They can get super-tame,follow you everywhere. We have a Blue Slate hen named Cassie who is in love w/ my 5 year old. Whenever she's in season,she will follow him EVERYWHERE,and squat down for him to pet her. She'll run hollering across the yard after him when he rides his bike,let him carry her around,etc. It's quite a sight to see!

 

[muesky]

Turkeys can make really good pets. I had a little white turkey who was my baby until we had a raccoon attack. I have found that if you hold and love on your babies from the time they pop out of the egg they seem to stay friendly. My breeder pair of Bourbon Reds who I got as month old poults and they have never been very friendly. Their babies are actually very friendly but of course I have been there since they pip from their eggs.
I think that if you spend time with your birds from the beginning and are affectionate they will be greats pets.
A little love goes a long ways.