Australian Brush Turkeys raping domestic chickens.....
Brush turkeys are attacking backyard chickens and it's illegal to stop them
ABC Sunshine Coast
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By
Owen Jacques
Posted 9hhours ago, updated 8hhours ago
The brush turkey belongs to a family that dates back 30 million years. In 2020, they are taking a liking to backyard hens.(Flickr.Com: James Niland (CC-BY-2.0))
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Residents who turned to backyard chooks for eggs during the coronavirus pandemic are encountering a serious problem but are powerless to stop it under Queensland law.
Key points:
- Brush turkeys are attacking and trying to violently mate with backyard hens
- More households have hens after the pandemic caused a spike in demand due to the panic buying of eggs
- Brush turkeys are protected, and interfering or killing them can lead to fines or even jail time
It's breeding season for brush turkeys and the protected native birds have set their sights on domestic hens.
Griffith University professor Darryl Jones said between September and December, brush turkeys — also known as scrub or bush turkeys — were searching for mates, as well as the perfect place for a nest, or "mound".
Dr Jones said the turkeys were attracted to backyards and could be violent in their interactions with hens.
"They often get attracted to the chook food that's being put out for the chickens," Dr Jones said.
Dr Jones says the "really nasty" behaviour of brush turkeys can leave chickens and owners traumatised.(ABC News: Stephanie Smail)
Increase in reports of attacks
When the pandemic hit earlier this year, demand for backyard chickens skyrocketed as panicked shoppers emptied supermarket shelves of eggs and other staples.
Dr Jones said it could be upsetting for owners to see their chickens injured or traumatised, but there was little to no chance of the different species successfully mating.
"It can be fairly distressing for the birds because they're much smaller," he said.