So, yesterday in the rain, I let the turkeys out of their pen around 4:30pm. Yes, I had not turned them out earlier because it was a literal down pouring of liquid stuff and I had my hands full inside trying to get ready for company that was supposed to be here today. (and not here yet!!)
Because I use security cameras around the property, I use them to watch the birds during daylight hours. If the turkeys wander too far to the lower fence, I go and call them back. If they disappear in a blind spot, I go look for them. That as worked well so far.
While working in the living room on ferret cage duty, I realized the camera for the front yard was showing was strange movements near my mailbox. The mailbox, which is located on the other side of the road from my driveway, is a tad hard to see due to tree limbs, fog, and rain. Then I realized I was seeing turkeys sitting on the church's chain link fence at the end of their field.
I beat feet out the door.
Do you know that herding 4 turkeys is worse than trying to herd a dozen or even two dozen feral cats?? Four semi-intelligent birds - each one going it's own way and paying NO attention to their MOMMA!
I guess the excitement of exploration was more important.
I finally got them back across the road and through the gate when they suddenly took off to the back of our big front shed. Goldie and Brandie hopped right up on my 4 foot high not-bear proof trash bin (ask me how I know) and proceeded to trash talk me (no pun!).
I rush to open the back gate so they can get to where they belong and Tommie immediately walked over to me - and through the gate. The other three - not so much and instead elected to fly to their pen.
Tommie walked on down and joined them with no fussing. Hmmmm, I thought. Quietly trailing behind Tommie, I barely let his tail feathers pass the point of no return and that was That!
I shut the pen gate.
And locked it.
It was 5:36pm
Yup. They got an entire hour to "explore".
I think I am feeding too much.
Because I use security cameras around the property, I use them to watch the birds during daylight hours. If the turkeys wander too far to the lower fence, I go and call them back. If they disappear in a blind spot, I go look for them. That as worked well so far.
While working in the living room on ferret cage duty, I realized the camera for the front yard was showing was strange movements near my mailbox. The mailbox, which is located on the other side of the road from my driveway, is a tad hard to see due to tree limbs, fog, and rain. Then I realized I was seeing turkeys sitting on the church's chain link fence at the end of their field.
I beat feet out the door.
Do you know that herding 4 turkeys is worse than trying to herd a dozen or even two dozen feral cats?? Four semi-intelligent birds - each one going it's own way and paying NO attention to their MOMMA!
I guess the excitement of exploration was more important.
I finally got them back across the road and through the gate when they suddenly took off to the back of our big front shed. Goldie and Brandie hopped right up on my 4 foot high not-bear proof trash bin (ask me how I know) and proceeded to trash talk me (no pun!).
I rush to open the back gate so they can get to where they belong and Tommie immediately walked over to me - and through the gate. The other three - not so much and instead elected to fly to their pen.
Tommie walked on down and joined them with no fussing. Hmmmm, I thought. Quietly trailing behind Tommie, I barely let his tail feathers pass the point of no return and that was That!
I shut the pen gate.
And locked it.
It was 5:36pm
Yup. They got an entire hour to "explore".
I think I am feeding too much.
