Wild Turkey Hanging Around Chicken Coop

[Rosanna]

I have 5 chickens that stay in their coop and run all day and night. A young, male wild turkey about a year old has been hanging around the coop/run for at least 5 days now and counting. He is friendly and I can walk up to him and get within a foot or two away from him and he doesn't care. He wants some of the treats that I carry out to the chickens. We have other turkeys roaming our property, but none that are friendly, so it's very odd. He just stands outside of their run all day watching them and he sleeps on top of their run at night. Maybe he thinks he's a chicken or maybe he's lonely? The chickens don't seem to mind, they just ignore him. When I had the chickens out in our yard this past weekend, he would just follow them and hang out. I've tried to chase him away a few times but he just keeps coming back. Any thoughts on what I should do or is there any reason why having him around would be bad for the chickens?

We are thinking of relocating him, however, since he started attacking my husband's truck when he saw his reflection and he scratched up the paint pretty good. He hasn't gone back since, but I just don't know if it's good to keep him around or not.

 

[iwiw60]

Looks like Sunday dinner to me!

 

[Rosanna]

Haha yeah we were thinking about that! Since he is friendly, I would prefer to relocate him to another field or farm.

 

[Arielle]

Maybe it is time to start raising turkeys!!! IF you can get that clost to him maybe he is not a wild bird--- I can only get to with in 10 feet then they burst into flight and clear the house!! lol THe other wild ones we have encoutered come down tto visit the turkeys but move away as we approach. THey live in the woods allaround us.

If you truley think he is wild: Do not feed him if you want him to leave. IF you feed him he will stay.

 

[mrclif]

He looks like a young male, he'll relocate his self before long I'm sure. Most wild turkeys cover alot of ground seasonally, I have them come in and raise their broods in my yard with my birds then leave and visit through out the year.

 

[Rosanna]

Maybe it is time to start raising turkeys!!! IF you can get that clost to him maybe he is not a wild bird--- I can only get to with in 10 feet then they burst into flight and clear the house!! lol THe other wild ones we have encoutered come down tto visit the turkeys but move away as we approach. THey live in the woods allaround us.

If you truley think he is wild: Do not feed him if you want him to leave. IF you feed him he will stay.

We decided to keep him around, so we've been feeding him. Yeah we have about 4 other turkeys and 15 babies roaming our property, all wild, and they all stay at least 50ft away from me, so it is quite strange. I've been feeding him everyday and when I come outside he walks up to me and waits for food. He gets within a foot from me everyday and is still very sweet, it's been over 2 weeks now that he's been hanging around.

 

[AmericanMom]

We decided to keep him around, so we've been feeding him. Yeah we have about 4 other turkeys and 15 babies roaming our property, all wild, and they all stay at least 50ft away from me, so it is quite strange. I've been feeding him everyday and when I come outside he walks up to me and waits for food. He gets within a foot from me everyday and is still very sweet, it's been over 2 weeks now that he's been hanging around.

We just went through this but with a hen, wanted to keep her but after some sound advice here I got in touch with our local game and wildlife office and although its not illegal for her to stay I am not allowed to incubate her eggs nor when my Bourbon Reds are old enough could I collect those eggs from her if she were to mate with my male.. Not worth keeping her here if I am so restricted... But had she been a he the rules are far different... We could have taken him during turkey season or kept him here to mate our females..

Perhaps the male is hanging about because he is young and not old enough to fight and win females of his own but to old to stay with the flock and see's your flock as his??

 

[Rosanna]

Quote:
Oh wow yeah that is interesting. We have a few hens and babies that roam our property and he has tried to walk up to them but they just ignore him, so he's probably too young. He looks to be about 1 year old. My chickens ignore him too, he just follows them around the yard and stands guard when I let them out.