Turkeys Fighting.

[LadyTurkey]

My males went at eachother today, One was bleeding a bit on his face. They seem to be a bit more relaxed now but im not sure how to manage this. For those of you who have mulitiple males together are you seperating them? letting them fight it out? I hope this is something that wont be happening all the time, as it was quite up setting for me

I love both the ones that are fighting and it seems to be getting pretty vicious

Our neighbour who has raised them before said you have to just let them fight it out , but i hate seeing that, i was in tears

 

[ivan3]

If they are healthy heritage turks, with enough room to back off from one another when they want to, we let `em duke it out. Sometimes, during the Spring, this can take a week or so of nastiness (if they range around the house, etc. don't have anything that can be knocked over and fall on them as they spar). We will mix pine tar and plain neosporin in plastic med cups, heat in microwave for 5 sec. (easier to apply) and, wearing gloves, will rub this on heads/caruncles of toms - don't place above eyes. This will slow them down a bit and speed up wound healing but, we've used this method primarily with jakes (they seem to be wilder in their fights - big toms go at it, but it seems more `formalized' somehow - plenty of abrasions - not as many lacerations). Also: we abrade the sharp tips from the spurs (file/emery board).

Our boys warming up:

Our toms attacking the neighbor's Black Spanish intruder:

Our oldest toms are 5.5yrs old, they share run with hens (not ideal re: fighting) and are still alive and well.

The almost perfectly peaceful flocks probably consist of one tom and hens, or, all toms, or all hens (watch the hens if you have some - they can do more damage to the tom that loses - pick on him incessantly, sometimes)

 

[LadyTurkey]

Yeah we have one that we think "might" be a female and only after the one tom had the other one pinned would "she" go over and peck at his face

 

[LadyTurkey]

Its getting worse, his face is getting all puffy and bloody i put some neosporin(sp) on him But i feel bad for the poor guy. He lays on the ground hiding his head from the other one. It seems to be worse when i walk over there. They were all sitting seperatly then when he saw me the dominant one started pecking him again. I feel like its my fault because they fight the worst when im around

 

[ivan3]

Alpha is probably just trying to make sure the whuppin' took (if he doesn't reinforce it for a bit the other will be emboldened and there they go again). Our guys have healed up from some pretty extensive sparring injuries (swollen/ripped snoods - swollen around the eyes - torn caruncles, etc. - will post shots if you like). Don't freak out if you catch one gagging on the other's, or their own, snood - there is a reason the old timers referred to this phase of male turkey life as `shooting the red' (I call it `going blood simple').

If you feel you must separate them while they are actually sparring remember, this is not always a one person job (grab one and get whacked good as the other has a static target and you'll be right there in the bullseye - wings alone can deliver some pain). Once separated it is rather trivial to wrap arms around turk from the side and pull its back against your chest -he'll complain and flail his legs but will be safely packed for transport to the sin bin.

If you still have a lot of flies at your location daub on a bit of Adam's tick and flea spray around, not on, any actual lacerations.

90% of the time the boys will be socially acceptable as can be.

 

[LadyTurkey]

Thanks for the reply

You put me at ease, i was worried about putting them away tonight in their hut all together but they all went in fine, but i guess im just trying to be the protective mother and protect her baby. I just feel so bad when the one getting beaten up on is trying to get away and the alpha follows him and just keeps beating on him

I hope this ends soon .

 

[LadyTurkey]

You are more then welcome to post some pictures , I wouldnt mind seeing what other toms have done to eachother , because maybe im just over reacting? lol

 

[Ksane]

Just wanted to tell you thanks for this thread. I've got 3 Royal Palms who are 12 wks oks old and I was worried about what was going to happen if I had 2 males and 1 female. They might possibly be all 3 males. So 3 males would probably be fine together? My 2 Quail boys are *not fine together & want to kill each other even though there's no female around. It's nice to know turkeys don't seem to be that way.

 

[ivan3]

LadyTurkey wrote: You are more then welcome to post some pictures , I wouldnt mind seeing what other toms have done to eachother , because maybe im just over reacting? lol

Hope this will help alleviate some anxiety:

Our Slate on 3/16/11:

4/13/11:

The Royal Palm is much lighter but, has better eyesight and has learned not to be cornered by the Slate.

Ksane wrote: Just wanted to tell you thanks for this thread. I've got 3 Royal Palms who are 12 wks oks old and I was worried about what was going to happen if I had 2 males and 1 female. They might possibly be all 3 males. So 3 males would probably be fine together? My 2 Quail boys are *not fine together & want to kill each other even though there's no female around. It's nice to know turkeys don't seem to be that way.

Once they establish their pecking order they'll do fine. However, they'll rearrange things occasionally. Our first three would form a gang of two against the other. Then three months later the lowly outcast beat the other two and formed a new gang with one of the losers. As I mentioned, this isn't constant.
If a strange tom shows up (as illustrated above) the `local boys' (whatever their differences) do their best to kick him off their block.

Link to 2008 thread about the visiting turkeys (our neighbors have no appreciation for predator suppression and retirement - all those turks have been killed since - wish I had claimed them...): https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=40700&p=1​

 

[LadyTurkey]

Thanks for posting the pictures , Yeah my guy looks pretty beat up like that as well, He was trying to come and see me when i let him out this morning, but as soon as he came toward me , our other one started attacking him again

I think im going to stay away from their run for a little while ,I dont want one getting hurt because of me