Turkeys Fighting

[Sunshinen]

I need some advice about Turkey fighting. I have Bourbon Red Turkeys 7 of them are Toms. They are 17 weeks old. It is off and on but now one of them has blood on their snood. He flew outside the fence and they continue to fight through the fence. It looks like it is 4 against one. Should I just put him back in? I have no place to separate him from the others. If I leave him out he might get had by a predator. Should I put anything on the snood or will it not keep them from grabbing and pulling. Thanks for any help and advice.

 

[rjohns39]

I need some advice about Turkey fighting. I have Bourbon Red Turkeys 7 of them are Toms. They are 17 weeks old. It is off and on but now one of them has blood on their snood. He flew outside the fence and they continue to fight through the fence. It looks like it is 4 against one. Should I just put him back in? I have no place to separate him from the others. If I leave him out he might get had by a predator. Should I put anything on the snood or will it not keep them from grabbing and pulling. Thanks for any help and advice.

Hi and welcome to BYC and the world of turkeys You'll probably want to head over to a century of turkey talk at some point. In the meantime, put him back in and let them work it out. Snood pulling contests are pretty common among teenagers as they are still trying to define the pecking order, and yes its common for a group to gang up on a single bird. That said, unlike chickens turkey's rarely fight to the death.

 

[Sunshinen]

Hi and welcome to BYC and the world of turkeys You'll probably want to head over to a century of turkey talk at some point. In the meantime, put him back in and let them work it out. Snood pulling contests are pretty common among teenagers as they are still trying to define the pecking order, and yes its common for a group to gang up on a single bird. That said, unlike chickens turkey's rarely fight to the death.

Thank you roe your reply. I wasn't sure because of the blood. Hopefully they aren't as bad as chickens when they see red. I was worried about them picking it off.

 

[rjohns39]

My boys showing off and supervising the build of a new shelter... Now that they're a year old snood pulling is seldom practiced--but When they move into winter housing it'll go on for 2-3 days and again when they come out in the spring. When I move the breeder Tom in to the breed pen, they'll fight through the fence and the contest starts again as Toms are rotated in and out. This winter I'm going to re-arrange things to make the breed pen out of sight.

 

[BirdHead]

Hi and welcome to BYC and the world of turkeys You'll probably want to head over to a century of turkey talk at some point. In the meantime, put him back in and let them work it out. Snood pulling contests are pretty common among teenagers as they are still trying to define the pecking order, and yes its common for a group to gang up on a single bird. That said, unlike chickens turkey's rarely fight to the death.

Most domestic/ornamental chicken breeds these days don't fight to the death, but more to till one runs.

Unless it's a heritage type fowl or game chicken, you shouldn't see any chickens fight to death. I mean I have seen some pretty darn aggressive leghorns and RIR but that's also their type, Heritage RIR was meant to be game but were too big so I can see how that blood came probably a hair into the newer blood but many reds I see now are pretty calm but more peckish towards each other.

Sorry to be off topic.. But it is normal for them to peck snoods however if that tom keeps taking it, and he stays bloody most of the time then yes he will need to be seperated.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Welcome to BYC! It's fantastic you've joined the flock!

I hope your turkeys get it figured out and calm down the chaos. Here's a link to the thread rjohns39 mentioned above.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-century-of-turkey-talk-2000-2100.966414/

 

[Kiki]

 

[Sara Ranch]

I have turkeys, but they don't fight. I have one is trying hard to mate a particular hen, but she's having none of it.

When my CHICKENS fight, I never allow more than one on one, face to face. Meaning don't bother cornering anyone. Don't bother with ganging up on anyone. I'll break it up. I'll put you in time out. (It's very rare that they will do that.)

If one is injured, I look to see the source of the blood. Most of the time, I just wipe the blood away. If the blood is pouring out, then I leave it be. Many people put something on the owie - blue kote, neospirin, and stuff like that.

I have only wrapped one owie on a cockerel - his spur was nearly ripped off. I cleaned it, wrapped it. Bandages stayed on for a week, then I took it off. The spur healed.

I have wrapped one owie on a hen - after doing surgery on her foot. Rebandaged it once, and now you can't tell she ever had a limp.

If it were me, I'd keep the group separated. If the one turkey got outside, let him be. Maybe take him in after everyone has gone to sleep. Maybe give him a place to be during the day where he is not in danger from the other guys.

Move a friend or two out with him.

You said you didn't have a separate place to keep him. How about subdividing the coop? Putting up a sheet or something?

How about the same for the run? Subdivide it with something a visual divider or even a make shift fence from chicken wire or hardware cloth.

 

[rjohns39]

I have turkeys, but they don't fight. I have one is trying hard to mate a particular hen, but she's having none of it.

When my CHICKENS fight, I never allow more than one on one, face to face. Meaning don't bother cornering anyone. Don't bother with ganging up on anyone. I'll break it up. I'll put you in time out. (It's very rare that they will do that.)

If one is injured, I look to see the source of the blood. Most of the time, I just wipe the blood away. If the blood is pouring out, then I leave it be. Many people put something on the owie - blue kote, neospirin, and stuff like that.

I have only wrapped one owie on a cockerel - his spur was nearly ripped off. I cleaned it, wrapped it. Bandages stayed on for a week, then I took it off. The spur healed.

I have wrapped one owie on a hen - after doing surgery on her foot. Rebandaged it once, and now you can't tell she ever had a limp.

If it were me, I'd keep the group separated. If the one turkey got outside, let him be. Maybe take him in after everyone has gone to sleep. Maybe give him a place to be during the day where he is not in danger from the other guys.

Move a friend or two out with him.

You said you didn't have a separate place to keep him. How about subdividing the coop? Putting up a sheet or something?

How about the same for the run? Subdivide it with something a visual divider or even a make shift fence from chicken wire or hardware cloth.

Sorry Sara, I have to disagree. If you put a fence between teenage toms, they'll both be bear chested within a day or two and most likely tear through it if chicken wire or knock it down if welded wire. It is, however, important that they have someplace to run to or hide under. Once the aggressors accept submission, it will end.

 

[Sara Ranch]

As I mentioned in my post, my turkeys don't fight.

I shared what I do when my chickens fight, which is rare.

Would putting a visual barrier up - like a sheet - work with turkeys?