Turkeys as pets?

[teria]

Our hen turkey, Kris, is a great pet. She is so sweet and gentle, and just loves all of us. She will sit by the back door and watch what we are doing inside. I know if we let her she would come in and chill with us. She shares the chicken coop with our ten girls, and just loves to follow us around and watch whatever we are doing.

 

[Turkey parents]

This is my best picture of Mars my hen. She likes to sit with me and mother me. She's more loyal than my 85 pound German Shepherd and a lot less annoying. I haven't seen either since Monday though I did just talk to Mars on the phone.

 

[turkeylady3]

I am so jealous of all of u talking about how u get to pet your turkeys. Mine won't let me touch them. And the male comes at me with his Spurs and claws. I've never done anything to them. Give them treats daily and when we're little all 3 would roost on my arm at the same time. But something changed. I'm jealous.

 

[Turkey parents]

It takes a great deal of patience to get a turkey to be this friendly. I enjoy my bird more than a lot of things. She is my friend.

 

[teria]

I am so jealous of all of u talking about how u get to pet your turkeys. Mine won't let me touch them. And the male comes at me with his Spurs and claws. I've never done anything to them. Give them treats daily and when we're little all 3 would roost on my arm at the same time. But something changed. I'm jealous.

My hen only lets me pet her when she is roosting. Otherwise, she lets me get close but if I reach for her she backs away. My chickens are the same way,, except for my buff orpington and one of my faverolles. If it weren't for those two I would believe all poultry is aloof unless they are roosting. When I sit in my lawn chair several others will hop into my lap, but, if they are on the ground they won't let me reach for them. Weird.

Otherwise, it's only when they are roosting. As far as coming at you like that, I would invite those to freezer camp and start over. Our Bourbon Reds weren't mean like that, even if they didn't like us to touch them. They would follow us around and chortle at us, intensely curious about anything we were doing. The Tom was butchered in November, but, we still have our girl, Kris, and even though she doesn't let us touch her when she is walking around, she still follows us, and talks to us, and stands by the back door watching us through the glass.

Maybe it's just the breed you have. I don't know. I'm no turkey expert.

 

[turkeylady3]

Thanks for your reply. I've only been allowed to pet one of the girls when she lays down for the male. At that time I take advantage and pet her head and neck also. I got them When they were young not sure how old but not super young. I use to sit in the little pen we had for them and thay would all roost on my arm all at once. Of course couldn't do that now. I spent a lot of time with them. So not sure y they r so unfriendly now. I've had several replies for my past posts one saying that turkeys r livestock not made to b pets. I understand that yet I c videos of turkeys acting quite like pets. Not gonna get anymore after these r gone. I'm not a spring chicken myself and it's hard on me especially in winter to take care of them. I guess the males so mean to me because he sees me as a rival with the girls. But he can b very dangerous and cause severe bodily harm should he get ahold of me. My husband says he's mad at me for keeping him separated from the girls. But he's so massive I know he would tear their backs up if he could get A hold of them. I let the girls out to run every day. I stay with them because we've had coyotes attempt to get in their pen at night. I don't let the male out. I tried that once and when my husband tried to get him back in his pen he attacked him. So he's confined to his pen. This all started because a wild turkey befriended me. We got close would eat out of my hand. Then the coyotes got her. A neighbor feeling sorry for me suggested I get some tame ones. One thing lead to another. They have separate pens only divided by a chain link fence both sides r at least 10x8 they have a coop attached with a roosting bar and nesting box. That's not very big but big enough to hold all three. It has 2 windows complete with storm/screens depending on weather. And as I've said I give them treats every day. Sunflower seeds dried mealworms and crackled corn in addition to their regular food. So think I've gone above for them. Just wish they'd show a little friendlyness

 

[teria]

Thanks for your reply. I've only been allowed to pet one of the girls when she lays down for the male. At that time I take advantage and pet her head and neck also. I got them When they were young not sure how old but not super young. I use to sit in the little pen we had for them and thay would all roost on my arm all at once. Of course couldn't do that now. I spent a lot of time with them. So not sure y they r so unfriendly now. I've had several replies for my past posts one saying that turkeys r livestock not made to b pets. I understand that yet I c videos of turkeys acting quite like pets. Not gonna get anymore after these r gone. I'm not a spring chicken myself and it's hard on me especially in winter to take care of them. I guess the males so mean to me because he sees me as a rival with the girls. But he can b very dangerous and cause severe bodily harm should he get ahold of me. My husband says he's mad at me for keeping him separated from the girls. But he's so massive I know he would tear their backs up if he could get A hold of them. I let the girls out to run every day. I stay with them because we've had coyotes attempt to get in their pen at night. I don't let the male out. I tried that once and when my husband tried to get him back in his pen he attacked him. So he's confined to his pen. This all started because a wild turkey befriended me. We got close would eat out of my hand. Then the coyotes got her. A neighbor feeling sorry for me suggested I get some tame ones. One thing lead to another. They have separate pens only divided by a chain link fence both sides r at least 10x8 they have a coop attached with a roosting bar and nesting box. That's not very big but big enough to hold all three. It has 2 windows complete with storm/screens depending on weather. And as I've said I give them treats every day. Sunflower seeds dried mealworms and crackled corn in addition to their regular food. So think I've gone above for them. Just wish they'd show a little friendlyness

I think maybe your Tom is the trouble, really. Plus, having more than one or two hens will cause them to really not need you. After our Tom was gone our hen started following us around and wanting to be with us. It's possible you could see a difference in the girls behavior once the Tom is gone. I hope you find a solution. Turkeys are very social, to the point of being terribly lonely if they don't have a companion. We put our hen in with the chickens so she would have some friends, but, she still prefers to follow us when we're outside. We got her at just a couple days old, so, she basically imprinted on us. She was hatched in an incubator on a local farm, and then put in a closed brooder with a few other turkey hatchlings and some chicks. So, as far as humans, we were the first real humans she remembers.

And, yes, that Tom of yours sounds dangerous, and will never be a pet. He would be fine in with your turkey hens, but, will not be okay around people.

Good luck.
Teri

 

[Varglet]

I had a BBW hen that was a wonderful pet. I raised her from a poult. She followed me like a puppy (had to watch your step, especially when turning around because she was always right there), loved to be petted, she would call for me if she heard my voice and come running. She let me pile nice, warm grass clippings on top of her once, and she just fell asleep right there.

Unfortunately, she died.

Now I'm trying to get another "pet" turkey. Unfortunately, no one around here had poults, so I had to buy adults and am now waiting for them to start laying. They are not tame at all. I started with two Royal Palms, but both turned out to be hens. A neighbor dropped off a pair the other day (she heard I needed a tom), so I'll have fertile eggs eventually.

 

[turkeylady3]

Thanks guys for the replies. I can't let the male in with the females for 2 reasons. One he mounts them and he's so huge he hurts them. I've read where broad breasted are artificially inseminated due to the very fact. They have been known to rip through muscle layers. Second I could not Get into pen to feed them or fill their water container because he attacks me. So I've rigged the water container to b shared but he can't get at me when I clean it. And my husband rigged a way including a slide rod to bring his feeder to me at a safe distance. I didn't get them when they were brand new I'm not sure how old but they weren't just born. Still little enough for all three to roast in my arm at once Not sure where I went wrong. But won't replace him when he dies. I love the pics of the turkeys interacting with their owners. I'd put a pic on here of my turkeys but it's hard to figure how to post pic on this site.

 

[mndrockhunter]

Turkeys make the best pets, mine are so sweet my hen sits down almost every time I walk up to her, she just plops down to get petted. I have a Tom as well he is very fun to watch, he is always displaying to get the hen's attention, she's not quite as interested in him though. He gobbles a lot but I think it's cute. They follow me a all over the place. The hen will fly so they have to stay pinned if I'm not out there to watch her. Great pets.