Turkeys fighting?

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

What months are considered "breeding" season?

Spring most of the time, when the hours of light start to get longer. Feb. is a pretty universal month for breeding from here to the East Coast, farther south and east the first to bred then the more north and west the latter to breed, unless you light them like a chicken in the winter time.. They breed for 24 weeks or longer, all depending on many factors. Ours usually will lay up till September or so.​

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

It depends by the breed, here is Eastern North Carolina our Beltsville Small White start laying every year right before Christmas, followed by the Hollands mid Jan, Bourbons, Midgets and Royal Palms in Feb, the Bronze were last.

The daylight hours don't seem to matter to the Belts - They are the best layers of all our turkeys. they outlay all the others combined. And we have zero extra light.

We have found the age of the turkeys is a major factor in laying, if you time your breeding so they are laying age in early spring you will get eggs sooner, older birds will lay later in the season.
We do the same think with our Buff Orpington chickens- our best egg layer. we hatch some in late spring to start laying in Oct & Nov, they lay all winter long thru the shortest days of the year with no added light. When nobody else has eggs or very few in Dec & Jan ours are laying steady.

Steve in NC

 

[dlgd]

I decided to get turkeys and ended up with...3 males!!!! they are now 7 weeks old and raised together and MAN do they FIGHT! I just got into the fray and established MY dominance and they listen to me. They haven't really hurt each other, YET...but I'm keeping my eye on them! Hope they get over it soon for peace and quiet!

 

[Turkeytruff]

how long do they fight for and how intense does it have to get before they establish their pecking order? My 2 bronze breasted boys are having it out right now, been pulling at each other wattles for an hour; I separated them a couple of times and stuffed one in the henhouse (the broody hen there not too impressed!) and he squeezed himself out of the little hatch and went after the other again. I have just read some of the old posts and they are helpful but just wonder how long it goes on for. Also my 2 little half grown Narragansett boys are following them around and putting in the odd peck. Is this normal?

 

[Scottingitup]

Separating them mid fight will only prolong it. They have to finish and see who will back down first to determine pecking order. They may bloody each other a little - just keep an eye out and treat any severe injuries if they occur. The worst I have seen so far is bloody snoods that healed up quickly.

 

[Turkeytruff]

thanks for this; i went back and let him out and whilst the other one displayed for another 10 minutes around him, he pretended not to notice and they all settled down. You're right they need to establish their pecking order and I need to harden up!