Turkeys beating up my rooster

[Montanagirl]

Hello everybody,I'm new here. My husband and I have had chickens and turkeys for about four years now and never had a problem,until now that is. We've always free-ranged all our birds and just shut them in at night,they've always gotten along fine before. This bunch though has been a batch of trouble,they hang around the house getting into stuff and tearing things up and just generally seem to look for trouble. Today I stepped outside to find them all surrounding my favourite old rooster and beating him up,they had him on the ground and if I hadn't stepped in they would've killed him. This rooster is a complete gentleman,he takes care of his hens,doesn't beat them up,and is very tame. Whenever I've had to handle him he has always been very docile,just waits for me to finish helping him. It's like he KNOWS I'm not going to hurt him. I've got him in a box in the house right now,but I can't keep the old boy shut up in the house in a box forever. I detest this bunch of turkeys but feel like I should make at least some effort to restore peace in the flock before resorting to getting rid of them. We don't own the place we live on and like I said we free range our birds so there's never been a reason for a pen or anything like that,just the coop. Luckily the turkeys have taken to roosting in the old barn at night,but during the day what the heck can I do?

 

[BooBear]

Sounds like you need to make a pen for either the turkeys and let the chickies continue to free range or make a run /pen for the chickies and let the turkies free range.

 

[Pinky]

Quote:
x2 . It's hard to make a turkey forget something it doesn't like.

 

[Montanagirl]

I was afraid of that. I've found new homes for three or four of them(we have nine). My poor rooster is currently residing in the dog kennel. I just wish I knew what I did differently with these turkeys than what I did with the last batch that has made them so different,so ornery.

 

[N. Virginia]

Eat the turkeys. I had guineys who were terrorizing my hens and probably waited too long to do something about it. If you can't keep them separated, then they should leave!
Good luck,
N. Va

 

[Montanagirl]

Yeah,I'm working on that,well getting rid of them,neither me or my husband likes turkey,too dry(I know,so why did we have them!). I love my chickies and no way 'am I gonna put up with this any longer than I have to.