Advice for raising free range turkeys

[unhitched]

I would like some advice for how to have sudo wild turkeys on my 40 acre ranch. I raised 18 turkeys this year in hopes of turning them loose on my 40 acres, they started out in a pen that was fully enclosed and they did great. Then at about 6 months i transitioned 7 of them to a pen that was open on the top, with a big tree in the middle next to my pig pen. All was going swimmingly for the first week. Then 1 by 1 they stared to disappear as they started to wander from the safety of the pen, until there were only 2 left. i would assume coyotes got them but I am not sure. at this point the turkeys found the remainder of the flock and would not leave the vicinity of the pen, so i put them back in. What can i do differently so that i can have a flock of wild turkey running my property?

 

[R2elk]

I would like some advice for how to have sudo wild turkeys on my 40 acre ranch. I raised 18 turkeys this year in hopes of turning them loose on my 40 acres, they started out in a pen that was fully enclosed and they did great. Then at about 6 months i transitioned 7 of them to a pen that was open on the top, with a big tree in the middle next to my pig pen. All was going swimmingly for the first week. Then 1 by 1 they stared to disappear as they started to wander from the safety of the pen, until there were only 2 left. i would assume coyotes got them but I am not sure. at this point the turkeys found the remainder of the flock and would not leave the vicinity of the pen, so i put them back in. What can i do differently so that i can have a flock of wild turkey running my property?

A flock of wild turkeys need much more than 40 acres to roam on. In order to keep them on the 40 acres, they have to have a supply of fresh water, they have to have sufficient feed available and the predators must be kept in control. The habitat must be diverse and offer good hiding and roosting places.

The hens are most vulnerable when they are nesting.

There are feeders that are designed for open range feeding.