Wow! So happy to find you and I have many questions!

[SlamGrier]

I'm Slam, I volunteer at a farm sanctuary for formerly abused and neglected farm animals. Last year we got a turkey that was most likely stolen off of a turkey farm by a coyote... she had two puncture wounds under her wing. She was actually found by a hunter who had gone out to hunt wild turkey and came across her. He saved her life then brought her to us and named her Gwendolyn.

I call Gwennie my best turkey girlfriend. She was brought in the very first week I started volunteering there in November of 2016. Not sure how old she is, but I'm guessing not too old because they don't keep them around very long if they're being bread to end up on someone's plate. She's the only turkey we have.

She's always been very, very sweet. She makes a little sing-songy chirp when she sees people. And when she got well enough to wander around the barn she would walk in front of me and then plop down. I realized it was her way to ask to be petted. She's sweet with all the volunteers, although I think the general consensus is (I flatter myself) that I'm her favorite. She's certainly mine. I worked all spring to get her to sit on my lap and for the whole summer I was the beneficiary turkey hugs and cuddle time. She would even fall asleep in my arms.

Anyway, a couple months ago she went through a molt. It was the first one she'd had since arriving on the farm. It was VERY stressful for her. She was pissed off all the time. One of the volunteers knitted her a sweater the way she does with her own backyard chickens but she actually thought Gwen looked to sore to wear it. She's done molting now, but here are my questions:

1) Her personality seems totally changed. She was cranky as heck when she was molting but she doesn't seem to have gone back to being UNcranky. When I go near her she gets puffy and her snood and wattle get really read and she makes this kind of aROO sound. Do you think she'll go back to being sweet?
2) What's with all that puffiness? On Monday she was HUGELY puffy and threatening one of the unconcerned bantam roosters.

I don't want to stress her out by continuing to try to pet her or get close to her if she's not enjoying it any more. Thanks for any help you can give me. I want to do right by my turkey girl.

(I've included a picture because she's so dang cute)

 

[Smuvers Farm]

Glad you're here Slam!

My turkey advisor would be @rjohns39, so tagging him and hope he shows up. I think @aart and @duluthralphie are turkey experts as well. Good luck with Gwennie!

 

[chickensrock12]

She is cute, my chickens go through this every year. I have 4 chickens who all lay on me when I am outside and even sleep on me sometimes. But once they molt they get cranky too. They hate being held and petted t this time. Then like a a couple weeks they calm down and are all sweet again. But turkeys are a different case in my opinion. She has seemed to imprint on all of you guys, thinking you are her mother or father. It could be that she is growing up and doesn't need to rely on her parent figures anymore. But it is like 90% she is just stressed, you should let her be for like a week and slowly come towards her with her favorite food. She should go back to the same way she was before.

 

[aart]

And when she got well enough to wander around the barn she would walk in front of me and then plop down. I realized it was her way to ask to be petted.

.....and lift her tail and spread her wings a bit?
I am not a turkey expert......but with chickens that means they want you to mate them.

Please don't put sweaters on poultry, it actually makes them colder by compressing their feathers so they canNOT 'hold' heat. Plus, yes, molting is 'uncomfortable'.

Dressing and cuddling animals is best left to the chihuahua types.

 

[SlamGrier]

She is cute, my chickens go through this every year. I have 4 chickens who all lay on me when I am outside and even sleep on me sometimes. But once they molt they get cranky too. They hate being held and petted t this time. Then like a a couple weeks they calm down and are all sweet again. But turkeys are a different case in my opinion. She has seemed to imprint on all of you guys, thinking you are her mother or father. It could be that she is growing up and doesn't need to rely on her parent figures anymore. But it is like 90% she is just stressed, you should let her be for like a week and slowly come towards her with her favorite food. She should go back to the same way she was before.

I've been jokingly saying she was like when my daughter was a teenager and just hated me all the time for no reason and everything was my fault.

 

[SlamGrier]

.....and lift her tail and spread her wings a bit?
I am not a turkey expert......but with chickens that means they want you to mate them.

Eek! No! She'd just plop down.

Please don't put sweaters on poultry, it actually makes them colder by compressing their feathers so they canNOT 'hold' heat. Plus, yes, molting is 'uncomfortable'.

Happily for all involved, I have no idea how to sew or knit or crochet and wouldn't even consider it.

 

[rjohns39]

Hi there. How big is she? Can you post a couple more pictures of her? It's not uncommon for them to be cranky for a while after a molt. I'm guessing she's a heritage breed as commercial breeds are normally processed around 14 weeks. When she would squat for you to pet her, did she kind of push her wings down an out a bit? @duluthralphie What do you think?

 

[SlamGrier]

Here she is with Romeo the goose

 

[chickensrock12]

Awe, so cute.

 

[SlamGrier]

Awe, so cute.

Isn't she though??