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Author Topic: Killer Turkeys!  (Read 2136 times)

Mrspie

  • Joined Feb 2016
Killer Turkeys!
« on: April 15, 2018, 09:25:09 pm »
Hi everyone,

Quite a strange subject! I started with a trio of bourbon red turkeys a few years ago. Over the years they have bred and I’ve kept the chicks. The strange beginnings started last year. I kept finding flattened chickens.. turned out Tommy the stag was to blame. I separated the chickens and he turnt his anger to the other stags. They would fight to the death!
it all calmed down over the winter, no fighting or unexplained deaths. Until last week.
I found one of my turkey hens dead. Mated to death/ flattened! Today I bought 5 new turkey hens to keep the peace between the 3 stags, within 2hrs I find another turkey hen dead. Flattened!
Is this normal or am I the only one with a turkey stag with a murderous streak!


in the hills

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Killer Turkeys!
« Reply #1 on: April 15, 2018, 09:46:18 pm »
I don't know anything about turkeys.


..... But I think it's time for Tommy to go before he does anymore harm!!!!!




We did have a young cockerel that we had to dispatch a few years ago when I watched him flatten a hen and then stand on her plucking her like a bird of prey would do. We'd had a couple of hens injured during the previous two weeks but couldn't work out the cause until I spotted him in action!


Guess that it could happen with turkeys too.






doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
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Re: Killer Turkeys!
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2018, 10:29:04 am »
You've given Tommy too much leway - freeze him! Now!  :innocent:
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

harmony

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Killer Turkeys!
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2018, 11:19:37 am »
Yep, tell him Christmas came early!

Clarebelle

  • Joined Jan 2013
  • Orkney
Re: Killer Turkeys!
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2018, 02:55:24 pm »
I had a cockerel who killed two hens by flattening them while mating. He went in the freezer!  :turkey:

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Killer Turkeys!
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2018, 04:00:17 pm »
If the stag is quite old I would suspect something like a brain tumour is causing atypical behaviour. 

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Killer Turkeys!
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2018, 07:21:28 pm »
There are a lot of you tube clips of turkeys, wild and supposedly tame, attacking people.  They are big birds so I know I wouldn't put up with a vicious one.  :turkey: :turkey: :turkey: :hungry:
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

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Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Killer Turkeys!
« Reply #7 on: April 17, 2018, 09:02:25 am »
We've bred hundreds of Narragansetts, primarily for conservation purposes, and never had an even mildly grumpy one.  The stags always place themselves between strangers and their wives in the breeding season and then display continually, sweeping their primary feathers across the floor as well as booming and gobbling.  I guess if someone was unfamiliar with livestock and didn't read the defensive signs they could push the stag's tolerance level too far.  The Narragansett stags reach 14kg when mature so, no, I wouldn't want one flying at me.

 

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