Turkeys fighting

[AllanAdams]

I'm sure this has come up before but here goes...we had one Tom and three hens...we recently picked up another tom and two more hens. So we now have two Toms and five hens. They are all just shy of a year old and just beginning to mate. The Toms however are fighting to the point where we have separated them. We would rather have them all together.
Was wondering what everyone's opinion is on this subject? Should we let have at it? The fighting should stop once one establishes dominance? Shouldn't it? Pretty sure they won't kill each other but it's really brutal.

 

[BobDBirdDog]

The fighting is not going to stop until the dominate breeder is established, then it may still continue. Right now they are more prone to fight as the spring mating season is approaching.

Best thing to do is buy two pair of children size boxing gloves

and let them have at it, or keep them in separate pens. Give both of them a mate and start two strains.

 

[R2elk]

I'm sure this has come up before but here goes...we had one Tom and three hens...we recently picked up another tom and two more hens. So we now have two Toms and five hens. They are all just shy of a year old and just beginning to mate. The Toms however are fighting to the point where we have separated them. We would rather have them all together.
Was wondering what everyone's opinion is on this subject? Should we let have at it? The fighting should stop once one establishes dominance? Shouldn't it? Pretty sure they won't kill each other but it's really brutal.

In the case of equally matched toms, the fighting can continue indefinitely. Although unusual the fighting can lead to a death.

The best thing to do is get rid of one of the toms. Two toms for 5 hens is one too many toms. I try to keep 4 - 5 hens per tom.

Putting that many toms in with that few hens can lead to poor fertility and wounded or dead hens. The injuries occur when the one tom knocks the other one off of the back of a hen leading to an unfinished breeding attempt and injuries to the hen from the tom trying to claw his way back into place as he is being pushed off.

If you feel that you have to keep both toms, put them in separate pens that are built so that they cannot see each other.

 

[AllanAdams]

We decided to split them up into two pens and clip their wings...