A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[ltsite6]

I would love to know what's a good age for my poults to go out with the rest of the diverse group of birds. They are still small, but seem big enough. Maybe their 6 or 7 weeks old...

 

[duluthralphie]

I would love to know what's a good age for my poults to go out with the rest of the diverse group of birds. They are still small, but seem big enough. Maybe their 6 or 7 weeks old...

That is a very "personal" choice on your part.

What is your predator situation?

Do you have a Tom that will protect or kill them?

6-7 weeks is pretty young, I think. Good luck on whatever you decide.

 

[stephcraig78]

Need a bit of advice/info from you all. We have two turkeys (believe hens) around 3-4 months old. They roam free all day with our chickens and at night we put them all in coop that is completely fenced and safe from predators. They were fine till last night. For the first time ever we couldn't find turkeys when it got dark and was time to lock up for the night. We searched the yard and our property. Finally one of our kids happened to look up. There they were about 15 feet up in a tree next to the coop. We tried to coax them down but ended up getting a ladder to bring them down. Couldn't leave them out because of raccoons and opossum in our area. My question is this- how do I trim their wings or is there any other way to keep them down. I'm sure they will continue to roost there now that they know they can. Need to get wings done today if that's the best way. Please let me know which feathers I cut and how far back. Thanks

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I would love to know what's a good age for my poults to go out with the rest of the diverse group of birds. They are still small, but seem big enough. Maybe their 6 or 7 weeks old...

You could put them out now if you want but like Ralph said, that's pretty young. If you do decide to do it, watch them very close. I think move were 8-10 weeks old when I put them out and I ended up losing one to my tom. I had to keep them seperated in a pen inside the turkey coop where they could be seen but not gotten to by the others for a couple weeks.

 

[stephcraig78]

Just read that it's best to clip one wing not both. What do you all do to keep your turkeys out of the trees? Also will they eventually learn to go in their coop at night or will I always have to gather them up and put them in? Guess that varies from bird to bird.

 

[duluthralphie]

Just read that it's best to clip one wing not both. What do you all do to keep your turkeys out of the trees? Also will they eventually learn to go in their coop at night or will I always have to gather them up and put them in? Guess that varies from bird to bird.

Clipping a wing is making it into predator munchies...

I would never clip a wing. I would hold off feeding them anything or give them treats just before "bed time'. I put mine in the pen every night with a bribe of a little whole corn. They start pestering me for it about an hour before their bedtime. If I did not bribe mine they would never go in.

I should mention I have a pen within a pen so I can lock the turkeys up around 6pm and leave the chickens out until sunset.

 

[feistychick]

Itsite6 - x3 on what Ralph and Aurora said. Your poults are still young, I'd watch them pretty closely if you decide to put them in with the other birds.

Stephcraig - Gotta love turkeys! Mine do go in at night on their own for the most part. I trained them to come in just before dark using treats, and they are pretty good now about making their way into the barn on their own now. I have only had to retrieve them from outside a couple of times in the last 6 months. If I miss closing up at dark now, they almost always go inside to roost. I got Coco as an adult and it took her about a week (of me cursing at her for roosting on top of the barn at night) to figure the system out . Turkeys are pretty smart when it comes to treats lol.

 

[duluthralphie]

Of course, the day I brag about my turkey going right into the pen, SideKick and Ethel Jr. had to be PITA's. They went by the door about 6 times before I got them to go in. We played "chase the turkey around the coop and pen for 20 minutes. I was a little worried their eyesight failed them today the way they avoided looking at the door!

PITAs!!!

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Just read that it's best to clip one wing not both. What do you all do to keep your turkeys out of the trees? Also will they eventually learn to go in their coop at night or will I always have to gather them up and put them in? Guess that varies from bird to bird.

I turn on the light in their coop and they usualy go in on their own though, Queenie, one of my palms has recently discovered that she can roost in the trees. I use a plastic rake to chase her down. So far she hasn't learned to just fly higher up. I know it will eventually happen though.

 

[stephcraig78]

Well so far the routine has been around dark they all (turkeys and chickens) fly up on top of their pen/coop. Everybody falls asleep there until I go out and carry them all to the door and put them inside. I leave door open all day until I start putting them up for night. I've tried to shake their treat container (meal worms) which normally gets them running to me but they won't budge. I don't have a light inside coop but have rope light hung around the outside of the pen. It's been raining today so they stayed in all day. Tomorrow I will see if I can coax them in with treats. If not I have a nice big plastic rake too. And a ladder!!