Turkeys as pets?

[turkeylady3]

That's awesome. I'm really jealous. One reply a while ago explained turkeys r livestock not expected to make good pets. So thought I was wrong in getting them as pets. Glad to here some do make good pets

 

[June2012]

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.

Well, you could try taming them down a bit more. I am more knowledgeable in training parrots than turkeys, but still.

In his pen, how far can you be from him until he starts to get aggressive? (It's all about respect here. Remember that!) ie if he's comfort for 20 feet, spend time staying at just 20 feet. Inch just a little closer. Seriously, just an inch. Is he still comfortable? Another inch. You have to be patient. This gives the animal a feel of safety and security. You are telling the turkey that he has a certain amount of control and that you respect him.

Keep inching closer. If you get too close (meaning he starts getting agitated or shows signs of aggression), take two steps back and wait for him to settle. Depending on the severity of the situation it shouldn't take you too long. You can throw treats over the fence of his pen once you're a close enough distance/comfortable with you making movements.

Are the females aggressive too? Same thing applies. If they're just standoffish, take away their feed for a day or two. After that, swing a food bucket around with the sound of their feed. Spread the food around and they'll see you as a food source. pm me for more info!!

 

[mndrockhunter]

My girl is extremely sweet, as soon as I come near her she lays down so I can pet her, she comes in the house and falls asleep on the couch, and follows me everywhere! Our Tom is also sweet he never chases me in fact he comes up to me to get petted. My concern is for the hen he tries to mount her but is so heavy I'm scared he'll hurt her.

 

[R2elk]

My girl is extremely sweet, as soon as I come near her she lays down so I can pet her, she comes in the house and falls asleep on the couch, and follows me everywhere! Our Tom is also sweet he never chases me in fact he comes up to me to get petted. My concern is for the hen he tries to mount her but is so heavy I'm scared he'll hurt her.

Your hen is not laying down so you can pet her. She is assuming the breeding position. Get a turkey saddle and put on her to help protect her when the tom attempts to mate with her.

 

[turkeylady3]

Well, you could try taming them down a bit more. I am more knowledgeable in training parrots than turkeys, but still.

In his pen, how far can you be from him until he starts to get aggressive? (It's all about respect here. Remember that!) ie if he's comfort for 20 feet, spend time staying at just 20 feet. Inch just a little closer. Seriously, just an inch. Is he still comfortable? Another inch. You have to be patient. This gives the animal a feel of safety and security. You are telling the turkey that he has a certain amount of control and that you respect him.

Keep inching closer. If you get too close (meaning he starts getting agitated or shows signs of aggression), take two steps back and wait for him to settle. Depending on the severity of the situation it shouldn't take you too long. You can throw treats over the fence of his pen once you're a close enough distance/comfortable with you making movements.

Are the females aggressive too? Same thing applies. If they're just standoffish, take away their feed for a day or two. After that, swing a food bucket around with the sound of their feed. Spread the food around and they'll see you as a food source. pm me for more info!!

. Thanks for your response. Not sure if I'm responding in the right place. This site is really hard to navigate. Not females aren't aggressive just the male. He get aggressive as soon as he sees me. I'll try doing as u suggested but he's so old not sure it will make a difference. I've tried sitting by his pen and talking to him in a very quiet voice. But doesn't seem to make a difference. Some have replied that most turkeys live by instinct only. They say broad breasted bronze turkeys have even less mentality than even regular turkeys. But I'll give it a try when I'm outside his pen he follows me shadowing my every move. Making all sorts of strange noises also I think they should already see me as a good source. I go into the females pen daily and in addition to their regular food I give then sunflower seeds. Dried meal worms and crackled corn and go to fence between females and male and throw all those things inside males pen. I have a warned water container that is in a hole between their pens. When I remove it he tried his darnest to get at my arm and hand. Making horrible noise while doing it. His feeder had to b rigged by my husband on a slide so I don't have to enter cage. With a partial wall so he can't directly get to me. My husband has to go into clean his pen. The male allows him in. He doesn't like it but he doesn't attack him and my husband never feeds him so he doesn't associate him with feeding. The male did attack him one time the Last time I let him out and he tried to get him back in his pen. Of course I was out of reach. Also when they're growing I go around the yard and pick dandelion greens for them. So they are spoiled

 

[June2012]

. Thanks for your response. Not sure if I'm responding in the right place. This site is really hard to navigate. Not females aren't aggressive just the male. He get aggressive as soon as he sees me. I'll try doing as u suggested but he's so old not sure it will make a difference. I've tried sitting by his pen and talking to him in a very quiet voice. But doesn't seem to make a difference. Some have replied that most turkeys live by instinct only. They say broad breasted bronze turkeys have even less mentality than even regular turkeys. But I'll give it a try when I'm outside his pen he follows me shadowing my every move. Making all sorts of strange noises also I think they should already see me as a good source. I go into the females pen daily and in addition to their regular food I give then sunflower seeds. Dried meal worms and crackled corn and go to fence between females and male and throw all those things inside males pen. I have a warned water container that is in a hole between their pens. When I remove it he tried his darnest to get at my arm and hand. Making horrible noise while doing it. His feeder had to b rigged by my husband on a slide so I don't have to enter cage. With a partial wall so he can't directly get to me. My husband has to go into clean his pen. The male allows him in. He doesn't like it but he doesn't attack him and my husband never feeds him so he doesn't associate him with feeding. The male did attack him one time the Last time I let him out and he tried to get him back in his pen. Of course I was out of reach. Also when they're growing I go around the yard and pick dandelion greens for them. So they are spoiled

Ya know, if he truly is that aggressive, the freezer is waiting...or the grill. if you don't want t that route, wrap your arm in a towel or two. Wear a thick glove, and I mean thick. Put some food in your hand and stick your hand inside the pen. (This so that if he goes for your hand, it won't hurt and he realizes that he can't do a thing to you.) Take away all feed until he decides to eat from your hand is important as well.

I would suggest the freezer but you seem attached, so I seriously suggest taking away his feed and showing that YOU are the alpha and that YOU control his feed. JMHO.

 

[Triplecross]

Personally TurkeyLady3, I would butcher the mean tom or offer him to someone on Craigslist who wants a tom for breeding. There are so many nicer turkeys (chickens, goats, etc.,) out there, I don't bother with psychotic animals that need me to wear armor to feed / train them. Hobby farming should be fun and safe

 

[mndrockhunter]

Maybe instead of keeping him separated from the hen, put them together be will be much happier, you've got them so close together but he can't get to her he is probably very frustrated that he can't get to her. My Tom follows my hen everywhere but doesn't constantly mount her if that is what you are worried about. He likes to act protector of her, that is his job, if he can't do his job it may be affecting his personality. He may be "preemptively striking" cause it is all her can do to "protect" her. Try putting them together and everyone if he changes any, if not get rid of him on Craigslist, someone will take him.

 

[poorfarm]

Hello Turkeylady3,

There is a very strong genetic component to aggressiveness/tameness; or, "nature not nurture". If your tom comes from a commercial strain, there has been no selection pressure to breed for docility. From your description of his behavior he is not likely to ever become a pet; and my best advice would be to get rid of him and get a more docile tom. Keeping in mind that if you breed your turkeys they will also inherit your unpleasant tom's aggressive traits. However, if you are set on keeping him there a a few things you can do to reduce his attacks on you, although he will never be completely trustworthy (so don't turn your back because that's when he'll have another try at you). I also doubt that he will leave you alone if he's with the hen, because he will also want to defend his "harem" from you. With that said, though, these are all flock birds, and solitary confinement is psychologically damaging, definitely increases negative behavior, whether in turkeys, rams, bulls, whatever.

He is treating you like another turkey to be dominated, and since you can't display submissive turkey behavior to his satisfaction, the aggression continues. In my experience, your best option if you keep him, is to become the dominant turkey in your flock. To a certain extent, she who is the tallest wins, with birds. Try taking a large broom or leaf rake with you (a large black plastic leaf rake is ideal), and when the tom approaches, raise it straight above your head, handle down and bristles or tines up. You are trying to look big and threatening, the way he does when he stands up tall and puffs out his feathers. Step toward him, maybe rocking a little to emphasize the rake. He should start having second thoughts about attacking Big Bird. If you are making the right impression, he should eventually stand down and go about his business, assuming he has enough room (in a small pen he can't get enough distance from you to back off mentally).

The second thing is maybe not so easy for you. The loser turkey in a fight is the one who goes "down". When he attacks you, grab his legs and knock him onto his side by lifting them up of the ground. He will flap and fight, so this takes some strength. You don't have to do anything more than hold him so he can't get up until he stops struggling, and you just won the turkey fight, without doing him any harm may I add--you didn't even bite his snood! When you let him go, you then stand tall and "threaten" him again until he moves away from you. Chase him a little, then let him get away.

Since he has become confirmed in his experience that he is dominant over you, you will have to repeat this quite a few times until it sinks into his little feathered brain that messing with humans ALWAYS results in being "down". As in, every time he comes at you, you will have to do this. It's a lot of effort, and the sucker WILL wait until your back is turned to get you. If you can do this long enough, he will give up on attacking you, but he will never be "tame and friendly".

Again, my advice, unless there is something special about him that you want his genes in your flock, is to get rid of him and get a more docile tom. Good Luck!

 

[CliffB]

Just to add to everyone's stories. Our chickens never left the immediate vicinity of the coop until the turkey's came a long then suddenly they were wandering into the front yard and the neighbors house. Other than that once we slaughtered the two males the female isn't quite as adventurous as before but she still is the leader of the flock and will take the chickens for a tour of the yard. She follows me around the yard more than any of the chickens.