Turkeys as pets?

[Koeyohte]

I've had chickens, silver pheasants, bobwhite quail and turkeys (Bourbon Reds) and love them all, but the turkeys are by far the friendliest and most attached.

I've only ever had any animal as a pet, so my two turkeys I have now (a female and a male) are pets and live in their aviary in the backyard. I do let them free range for something more interesting than their enclosure, but we have tons and tons of predators (fox, coons, neighbor cats and dogs, etc), so I stay nearby when they are outside. I'll run in the house to get something but not for long.

I held them and handled them every day since I got them (3 weeks of age), and fed from my hands to get them used to this and they're great. Love shiny things though... rings are something fun and they will peck even at full size, with enthusiasm! At which point my whole finger ends up in the tom's mouth XD

They are super friendly and cuddly/like to sit in laps. They both call when the back door opens (they can't see it but can hear it) and if anyone calls out to them, they'll call back and the tom gobbles. He gobbles only at loud or high pitched voices, and at aircraft flying overhead or things like weedwackers, lawnmowers, etc from neighbors.



Latye (Oneida Nativer American "Wanalatye" for "she speaks a lot" as this girl was always talking!) on my sister's lap.



Awkward baby stage





Very cuddly babies <3 They still think they can do this.

Latye jumps up on my back if I'm bent over at all, and even sits on my shoulder (tries, anyway), while I'm doing things.



Both Latye and her brother, WindDancer, strutting. Apparently some hens do this too and she did it one day while running around the yard



Making a mess on the deck while I was cleaning ^^

Turkeys are fun pets, but I definitely think you need more than one. I hope to have maybe 3 or 4 eventually. When you aren't around, they'll get bored, being alone.

 

[rjoschko]

I have 7 Beltsville Whites. They are almost 2 months old, 1 hen and 6 toms. One of the toms is acting more dominant than the others. When he gets near me he struts and makes the little grunting sounds. They are always all together in a group. If I want them to come to me all I have to do is clap my hands and they come running, and flying, lol. Their house is 4 feet tall and they can fly from the ground to the top of it. Today one of the boys is acting like he is not feeling well. He is walking very slowly and acting like all he wants to do is sleep. I will keep a close eye on him today. And yes, they all are my pets. I have named 2 of them and they know their names. Freedom & Sheldon.

 

[Iloveturkeys]

Yes, you should own a turkey as a pet! They are wonderful and affectionate. Turkeys are smarter than they look, too. I have four turkey birds myself. They are so sweet! They like to climb in my lap and sleep. (Just letting you know that the toms get aggressive at a certain point in their life)

 

[Book Em Danno25]

love your username!!! @Iloveturkeys

 

[Iloveturkeys]

I have four royal palms for myself. They are silly and sweet, and love a good cuddle. The males gobble whenever they hear a loud noise. You have to take good care of them, though. When they get older, they can develop arthritis. Also, if you have a male and a female, I might recommend a breeding saddle for the turkey hen, because the toms can get a bit rough with them. So yes you should get a turkey!

 

[Lizard King]

They Make Good Pets, They Will Stay Close And Come Back If U Clip There Wings, U Have To Get A Flock

 

[Americano Blue]

Does anyone here keep turkeys for ornamental or pet reasons rather than to butcher?

When free ranging, do they stick close to home like chickens? Do they do okay as singles, or better in groups?

They prefer to be in groups.

 

[kateseidel]

Hmmmmm - have recently started thinking about turkeys. I have lots of chickens, and prefer to raise them from chicks myself. Do you raise turkey chicks the same way you do chickens? It does not seem like you can sex turkey chicks? I would prefer not to have a Tom....these will definitely be pets, not dinner.

 

[kywest]

We have about 2/3 acre suburban lot and we keep 4-6 chickens and a trio of Midget Whites (full disclosure: they reproduce and we enjoy a freezer full of turkey). The back yard is fenced and they all free range during the day, but the turkeys only go out when someone is home.
A few things I would say about back yard turkeys:
1. They were definitely hard to keep fenced when they were younger. We kept wings clipped, but this only slowed them down, did not prevent fly-overs (our fencing is only 4') Now that they are almost 3yrs old, the tom couldn't be bothered to fly anywhere, but the two hens still fly into the neighbor's yard occasionally. (she LOVES this) They have finally learned how to return, fortunately. They do not fly into the opposite yard - I think because it is a chain link fence w/o a top rail, and they like to land on that rail before flying over the fence. They do however occasionally fly to the roof of the coop, so obviously it is a matter of motivation, not ability! If my tolerant neighbor ever moves, they will have to be clipped again.
2. They are WAY friendlier than chickens. My 3 spend most of their time on the back steps, looking in the sliding door. Charming, except they don't excuse themselves to poop. This summer we will be fencing off a portion of the back yard for human-only use. Guests for some reason find poultry poop disgusting.....
3. The tom has recently become too protective. We can no longer let him out when guests are over because he attacks (kicks) them. He will still allow me and my husband to pick him up though. And when the cooper's hawk comes around, he runs OUT of the coop to stand guard. (he's way too big for a cooper's, but I worry the young red tail might try something stupid....)
4. Three turkeys aren't too noisy. 9-12 turkeys ARE. Hens USUALLY make quiet noises, the toms are the loudmouths (beaks?) But a hen separated from her flock is more annoying than a barking dog (IMHO)
5. Turkey eggs are delicious, and mine lay daily (until I give them a nest full to incubate) Some hens become VERY protective of their nest, others will let you take eggs out from under them.
6. I have had a single turkey and she seemed to bond to the chickens just fine.
7. They turkeys don't seem to scratch up the yard/garden with as much enthusiasm as the chickens, and they spend much less time foraging (no time to forage when there are back steps to be guarded;-)
8. FYI, our coop is 8x16 (divided when necessary for poult-raising) and we have two fenced runs - 8x16 and 12x16. They pretty much spend the winter locked up because boredom leads to escape attempts! Everyone seems happy and healthy - we raised 4 poults, and sold 8 last summer, and ate a ton of turkey eggs. This year I hope to change my management and get even more poults, as midget whites are considered a threatened breed!
Good Luck!

 

[kateseidel]

Thanks so much for your reply - now you get to be my "turkey expert"!!!

You keep your turkeys and chickens in the same coop?
My hens are happier without a rooster - do you think your turkey hens would be okay without a man in their lives (which is probably the only reason I would kill one and eat it - apparently they do not sex turkey chicks so I have to get straight run)