Tom Turkey behavior twords poults

[AmericanMom]

As many of you know I have a year old BR Tom and two hens. I have collected eggs, incubated and now have 12 Poults ranging in age from 11 weeks -9 weeks in the finishing pen.. Since the babies were a couple weeks old they have been enclosed in a grow out pen within the main run, visible to my large flock of Chickens and the Three adult Turkeys, Two weeks ago we built an addition onto the coop with an enclosed large yard and put the Poults in there, chicken wire separates them from access to the the main coop..

Tonight while we were available to supervise we allowed the poults time out of the pen and into the main run with the adults.. No issues at all, the one hen and Tom investigated and the poults vocalized quite a bit but then went their separate ways... when it came time that most of the flock was heading to the coop we watched the adult hen go in and find her usual roost but the Tom went to the group of Poults and did something that at first alarmed me.. He fluffed all up and was herding them, I have no other way to describe it, he was pushing them to the coop/grow out pen, if one strayed he left the main group and went after it and walked it back with the others. As I said, at first it alarmed me as I didn't understand his intentions but it soon became clear and my DH and I stood and just watched.. Three of the poults went into the main coop while the rest went to their finishing pen, this seemed to satisfy the Tom and he left and went to forage.. We herded the three stragglers back to there pen and closed them up..

I wish I would have had my camera as I had never heard of this, I mean yes they have always been around each other but behind a fence.. Has anyone else had this experience? Am I correct in assuming what I saw was actually what he was doing?

 

[chickadoodles]

AmericanMom I think you are right I think he was herding them back where he thought they belonged. Toms also have protective instinct's over the young ones.

 

[AmericanMom]

AmericanMom I think you are right I think he was herding them back where he thought they belonged. Toms also have protective instinct's over the young ones.

It so cool, I let them out this morning to be with the flock, Plan is to let then out but close them up at night into their own coop, after a week or two I will close their coop off from them and let them go into the main coop.. Got another round of Chicken chicks ready for the finishing pen

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: I usually let my babies get used to the flock by putting them directly into the main coop and leaning a board or something against a wall or corner for protection in case a hen gets to rough they can hide and get away. But make them go out and eat with the others so they stay one flock. It will work or the older ones would have already hurt the babies. Great job!

 

[AmericanMom]

I usually let my babies get used to the flock by putting them directly into the main coop and leaning a board or something against a wall or corner for protection in case a hen gets to rough they can hide and get away. But make them go out and eat with the others so they stay one flock. It will work or the older ones would have already hurt the babies. Great job!

Cool beans, lots of hidey holes for them in there, I got boards leaning against walls in several locations not because I was thinking of them but because I used them to cover the broodys nest

, they foraged around for part of the day, went into the main coop and then back to their run. Really the only ones that have given them any notice is the broody hens with babies lol.. Sometimes Turkeys need not be so curious and one young rooster about 4 1/2 months old chasing one out of the coop... He is going to the stew pot this weekend so I'm not to worried at this point.

 

[WalnutHill]

I saw a new, and neat, behavior today. I have three turkey hens and a tom in one pen, and four week old poults in an adjacent pen. They are unrelated by blood, and are Bourbon Red where the breeders are Narragansett. The young poults were sticking their heads through the wire on the door and the hen was letting them peck food from her beak.

The tom just stood by, totally unconcerned.

 

[AmericanMom]

I saw a new, and neat, behavior today. I have three turkey hens and a tom in one pen, and four week old poults in an adjacent pen. They are unrelated by blood, and are Bourbon Red where the breeders are Narragansett. The young poults were sticking their heads through the wire on the door and the hen was letting them peck food from her beak.

The tom just stood by, totally unconcerned.

That's awesome!!! I had hoped to see behavior like that out of the hens but if they did that it wasn't when I was looking...

Bet your hens gonna be a good momma!

 

[WalnutHill]

That's awesome!!! I had hoped to see behavior like that out of the hens but if they did that it wasn't when I was looking...

Bet your hens gonna be a good momma!

If I keep my breeders for next year, if she goes broody then she will get to try her hand at mothering. Right now I pull all the eggs and incubate but I may slide those I have saved up to the girls. My BBB hen and one of the Narragansetts are sharing a nest trying to be broody. Of course, it's not a nest, it's just a spot in the middle of the floor...

 

[AmericanMom]

If I keep my breeders for next year, if she goes broody then she will get to try her hand at mothering. Right now I pull all the eggs and incubate but I may slide those I have saved up to the girls. My BBB hen and one of the Narragansetts are sharing a nest trying to be broody. Of course, it's not a nest, it's just a spot in the middle of the floor...

That's awesome.. I wish coop hen would get with the actual broody hen out in the old brooder box.. But she is determined that she lay in the chicken nesting boxes even tho I have started leaving her eggs in a rabbit hutch I set up for her.. So far she has rejected it but the buff orp loves it lol

I will have to go back over my records but not counting the 12 I hatched for myself I think I have hatched and sold close to 30 poults and probably 4+ dozen eggs .. I am ready for a break and after the next two hatches are done the incubators will be cleaned and put up.. We have a couple small vacations were taking in June and I need everything buttoned up by then

 

[WalnutHill]

We're planning on going up to Alberta for a couple of weeks this summer and I have about 70 young turkeys that will need a watchful eye. The older birds will not be so much of a challenge.