Pet turkeys?! While it may seem a bit unconventional, keeping turkeys as pets is becoming more popular. And it’s easy to see why! Turkeys are generally low maintenance and make a good outdoor animal. They bond well to their families and enjoy being social.
We never expected to have a pet turkey! But, in a strange twist of events, Baby (yes, like Baby from Dirty Dancing), came to join our little farm! I was rather intimidated by her at first. But it didn’t take me long to see how sweet, fun and loving she was!
If you are considering adding a pet turkey to your family, here are 5 things to know!
Pet turkeys can be noisy
Each turkey is unique and some are more vocal than others. Male turkeys gobble (especially during mating season) while females make a high-pitched chirping noise. Our turkey gets especially noisy when it’s almost meal time. She is also very social and loves to talk to any and every neighbor that she can see! Our neighbors always enjoyed her friendly interaction, but you may want to make sure your neighbors are okay with it before you invest in a pet turkey!
Pet turkeys are very friendly and social
Turkeys are social animals and will become very attached to their people! We have an ongoing joke that our turkey is a better dog than the dog is! She will faithfully follow us around anywhere we go! She loves to be pet and will even sit down on our feet to try to get attention!
Every turkey is different, and some toms can become territorial. However, most turkeys are generally docile, making them a good animal to be around children. Our turkey loves kids and she is usually the star of our farm with young visitors! She will sit down gently beside them and let them pet her for hours!
Turkeys can usually be housed with chickens or other livestock
Turkeys can usually be housed with chickens; however, there are some precautions to be aware of. Blackhead is a disease that commonly affects turkeys and can be transmitted by chickens or other fowl. If blackhead is common in your area, it’s probably best to house your chickens and turkeys separately.
Some turkeys can also be aggressive towards chickens. And, we have also had some roosters that were aggressive towards our turkey. I have also heard that toms may try to mate with smaller chicken hens, harming them in the process.
Currently, our turkey lives with our goats and our chickens. While she prefers hanging out with the goats, she still gets along well with the chickens, even though she had a few scuffles with some roosters in the past. For the most part, she is the big chicken and will run away from the chickens if she feels threatened or scared.
Pet turkeys are usually very good about staying near their people and their home. Even when they are allowed to free range, they generally don’t wander as far as chickens do. We like to let our turkey out to come follow us around while we work in the barn or in the yard. However, we do keep her in a fenced pasture area when we aren’t around to make sure she is safe from predators and neighbor dogs who may take an interest in her.
Turkeys love food!
Turkeys love to eat! They love to eat so much, that you might have to limit their food intake! We have to monitor how much our turkey eats through the day to keep her at an optimal weight. She is allowed to free range as much as she wants though. She also loves to receive healthy veggies and fruit snacks! You can also use special treats to train your turkey to come when called and do other fun tricks!
Pet turkeys are clumsy, quirky and hilarious
There is no doubt that a pet turkey will keep you entertained! They are quite clumsy animals, which makes them even cuter in my opinion! I’ve seen our turkey trip over everything from food bowls to chickens! She’s even walked right into a goat once or twice! But her sweet disposition is what I love most. She is always enthusiastic about everything in life and is thrilled anytime she sees us coming. And she certainly puts a smile on our faces each time she comes waddling up to us!
16 Comments
If someone took my turkey off my property and drop him off somewhere near the house would he find his way back home
I have a ton he is about 7months old and he is so funny he loves to dance and as you said follows me around everywhere. I do have a few questions though if there is a way to message you directly
I am going to train Little Foot to be my pet, you have your options, but please be respectful. Have a blessed day
So I just went out to check and feed everyone and found my 4 yr old turkey hen dug down into hay like she was asleep, but she’s not? No blood or a feather out of place, feet curled into her, it was probably 33 degrees last night? I’m so distraught what happened to my Gracie girl
Josephine,
I’m so sorry for your loss. And sad to say that sometimes our birds just die. If you would like to share Gracie’s story with us, please feel free to email me and I’ll share it on Community Chickens. ctilghman@ogdenpubs.com
I have a one year old white turkey his name is rudy .hes the best loving pet ever but one of his legs and footbare real swollen. He cant walk i soaked it epson salt warm water and gave him some. Antibiotics i can tell if hes getting better help advice some please
Is it a broad breasted?)
Great article! It made me smile to see pictures of your beautiful bird. I just lost my beloved pet turkey to cancer. She was the love of my life for 3 1/2 years. I spent a lot of time and money on vet care for her, but ultimately she succumed to her illness, I thought that a lot of her behavior was very similar to a dog. I got her as a chick, and raised her inside my house, so she was very close to me. We had a lot of fun times in my yard and garden, and I really enjoyed watching her digging in leaves looking for goodies, lounging in her sandbox, and sunning herself in the summer. I think that turkeys make great pets!
My mom bought a bunch of turkeys, red, and white. When she brought them home, they knocked over their water. I wound up having to save one of the reds, who looked like he was having seizures, I took him with me, got it warmed up, and kept it chirping. It is one of the smallest ones in the bunch. I named it little foot. Now mom has just placed all of the birds, turkeys and chickens in the barn. It is still to cold for the babies, I almost grabbed little foot and brought it in with me. The bigger turkeys are pushing it around. The reason I am saying it, is because I can’t tell whether it is male or female.
you rebel! turkeys are for eating! Not for having as pets!!!
Why would you say such a thing i had a male pet Turkey and afterwe got a female he died and then the femail tok his place and now they are both dead i loved them so much that i am forever sad about them dying the even though the were bred to be eaten so i say love them until the cant be loved anymore
Oi don’t be dumb, turkeys should be able to live their lives like other living organisms.
Would you eat your turkey after it dies?
I used to have a pet turkey, but then our finances were going down, so we couldn’t afford a Thanksgiving meal. So, we ate my pet turkey, and I greatly regret it. :/
I feel the same way we have 4 babies that we thought where going to be for thanksgiving now they are just 4 more pets
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