This means WAR.
Cappy and Cal both decided that they are men. And then they wanted to know who was the Manliest Man. This is the result of that:
At first, I panicked. They've been such pals with just an innocent game of "my head's higher than your head" or "I got your snood and I'm pinning your head to the ground---cry uncle!" every once in a while. But, I knew this was bound to happen eventually. They are male birds, after all. (I still panicked because they drew blood this time). I separated them because I didn't know how far they would go and I didn't want them killing each other before I got back from church.
After church I let them out into the yard together and tried to keep them from fighting, but eventually I got tired and just let them duke it out. They cut and bruised each other's faces up good. But eventually, after Cal won and Cappy cried "MAMA!" they settled down, nursed their wounds, preened their feathers, and got back to being friends. I put them back together.
A few weeks later, they got after each other again.
So I turned to the friendly neighborhood internets to figure out if there was some way to keep tom turkeys from fighting. Will they kill each other? Should I keep them separate or let them fight? What is the best course of action to take?
Raising these guys has been a whole lot of trial and error since day 1. Even researching turkeys is trial and error, because so few people know or care that much about their behaviour, I just have to read what people say, compare it to what I've learned about turkey body language and noises from my guys, and fill in the blanks. Experienced turkey farmers and hunters say tom skirmishes are normal, they'll settle down after they decide who is Boss Man and who is Skinny Chicken. Inexperienced turkey owners are all over the web are going "OH NO! My turkeys are fighting! I separated them, but they won't quit! I'm at my wits end!! [...ultimately they get rid of one or both of the offending toms]"
What I got from that was that to separate them is to make the problem worse. So I decided to let them duke it out again. And that worked. After they fought (and Cal won again, of course, because he fights like a brute), they settled down and got back to being friends, just as before.
Doodle wanted in on the man action, but he's too slow. The younger gents want a chivalrous action-packed sword fight, not a game of tip-the-cow. Poor Doodle.
Cappy is starting to get wise. And by that, I mean he's figured out that brawn isn't working for him, and he has to find another way if he's going to beat Boss Man Cal. Nature dictates that if brawn doesn't work for you, use smarts.
Toms don't have a whole lot of smarts when they're puffed up--it must take all their concentration to hold that pose, because they get the "derp eyes" and the only thought process they have in their little brains is "ME MAN." They can be genius little chicks, exploring and talking about everything. And hens are brilliant and inquisitive, even foxy little ladies. But when a tom puffs up, all he thinks is "ME MAN. YOU MAN? WE FIGHT." or "ME MAN. ME HUNGRY. ME EAT." or "ME MAN. ME BEAUTIFUL. YOU WOMAN? YOU LOVE." That's it. That's their entire vocabulary when they're puffed up. Nine words. Three thought processes. That's the upper limit of their cognitive functions.
Luckily for Cappy, he's too busy losing the battle to stay puffed up all the time.
Usually, after Cappy surrenders and Cal is hyped up on testosterone or whatever, I do intervene and push them away from each other. If I distract Cal with something nice (usually snuggles and praises about how pretty he is. He likes that. It turns his attention from trying to beat up his brother to showing off for me until he can settle down and behave like a normal bird again) Cappy can get away and that ends the battle.
Cappy has caught on, and decided to utilize my tactics to his advantage. You see, when it comes to turkey battles, the rule is: You quit first, I win. So today after Cappy deduced he was losing the fight again, he decided to come running to me, squeaking like he had surrendered. After I broke them up, though, Cappy puffed up and started showing off like he had won the battle. Dork. That made Cal mad, so they got into a fight again. After that I was just like, "Dude, you just used me to cheat. Fight your own battles, pfft."
And thus they fought. Cappy tried to use me again, but I refused him this time. And thus Cappy lost. And thus they got back to being friends. The End.
...That is, until next time. Thankfully turkey beaks aren't all that strong, so they haven't hurt each other grievously yet. The worst they can do is tear off each others' snoods, though I hope it doesn't come to that. Their spurs will be another matter though. I have got to figure out what to do about their spurs when those start to come in. Spurs mean business, for the boys as well as for the girls. I don't want them to claw up the girls or each other when spring comes around.
 |
| Ouch! |
At first, I panicked. They've been such pals with just an innocent game of "my head's higher than your head" or "I got your snood and I'm pinning your head to the ground---cry uncle!" every once in a while. But, I knew this was bound to happen eventually. They are male birds, after all. (I still panicked because they drew blood this time). I separated them because I didn't know how far they would go and I didn't want them killing each other before I got back from church.
After church I let them out into the yard together and tried to keep them from fighting, but eventually I got tired and just let them duke it out. They cut and bruised each other's faces up good. But eventually, after Cal won and Cappy cried "MAMA!" they settled down, nursed their wounds, preened their feathers, and got back to being friends. I put them back together.
A few weeks later, they got after each other again.
So I turned to the friendly neighborhood internets to figure out if there was some way to keep tom turkeys from fighting. Will they kill each other? Should I keep them separate or let them fight? What is the best course of action to take?
 |
| A few mere scratches about his beak... that's all Cal sustained in the last skirmish... Him and his pretty blue eyes, the brute... |
Raising these guys has been a whole lot of trial and error since day 1. Even researching turkeys is trial and error, because so few people know or care that much about their behaviour, I just have to read what people say, compare it to what I've learned about turkey body language and noises from my guys, and fill in the blanks. Experienced turkey farmers and hunters say tom skirmishes are normal, they'll settle down after they decide who is Boss Man and who is Skinny Chicken. Inexperienced turkey owners are all over the web are going "OH NO! My turkeys are fighting! I separated them, but they won't quit! I'm at my wits end!! [...ultimately they get rid of one or both of the offending toms]"
What I got from that was that to separate them is to make the problem worse. So I decided to let them duke it out again. And that worked. After they fought (and Cal won again, of course, because he fights like a brute), they settled down and got back to being friends, just as before.
Doodle wanted in on the man action, but he's too slow. The younger gents want a chivalrous action-packed sword fight, not a game of tip-the-cow. Poor Doodle.
Cappy is starting to get wise. And by that, I mean he's figured out that brawn isn't working for him, and he has to find another way if he's going to beat Boss Man Cal. Nature dictates that if brawn doesn't work for you, use smarts.
 |
| Even at his puffiest, Cappy still isn't brawny enough to beat Cal... |
Toms don't have a whole lot of smarts when they're puffed up--it must take all their concentration to hold that pose, because they get the "derp eyes" and the only thought process they have in their little brains is "ME MAN." They can be genius little chicks, exploring and talking about everything. And hens are brilliant and inquisitive, even foxy little ladies. But when a tom puffs up, all he thinks is "ME MAN. YOU MAN? WE FIGHT." or "ME MAN. ME HUNGRY. ME EAT." or "ME MAN. ME BEAUTIFUL. YOU WOMAN? YOU LOVE." That's it. That's their entire vocabulary when they're puffed up. Nine words. Three thought processes. That's the upper limit of their cognitive functions.
Luckily for Cappy, he's too busy losing the battle to stay puffed up all the time.
 |
| "Lookit me and my bad self... You wanna piece o' this, Cappy? Com'ere!" |
Usually, after Cappy surrenders and Cal is hyped up on testosterone or whatever, I do intervene and push them away from each other. If I distract Cal with something nice (usually snuggles and praises about how pretty he is. He likes that. It turns his attention from trying to beat up his brother to showing off for me until he can settle down and behave like a normal bird again) Cappy can get away and that ends the battle.
Cappy has caught on, and decided to utilize my tactics to his advantage. You see, when it comes to turkey battles, the rule is: You quit first, I win. So today after Cappy deduced he was losing the fight again, he decided to come running to me, squeaking like he had surrendered. After I broke them up, though, Cappy puffed up and started showing off like he had won the battle. Dork. That made Cal mad, so they got into a fight again. After that I was just like, "Dude, you just used me to cheat. Fight your own battles, pfft."
And thus they fought. Cappy tried to use me again, but I refused him this time. And thus Cappy lost. And thus they got back to being friends. The End.
 |
| ...The shame... |
...That is, until next time. Thankfully turkey beaks aren't all that strong, so they haven't hurt each other grievously yet. The worst they can do is tear off each others' snoods, though I hope it doesn't come to that. Their spurs will be another matter though. I have got to figure out what to do about their spurs when those start to come in. Spurs mean business, for the boys as well as for the girls. I don't want them to claw up the girls or each other when spring comes around.
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