Advise on turkeys in the city?

[redhotchick]

We got our first chickens a few months ago & have completly lost our minds over them.I built them a new coop,we are building a fence,ect...I build barns & coops for a living also. I have been lookin at some hatcherys & have been thinking about getting a couple or few turkeys.I love the way they look & was just thinking.I will build a large shelter with a run,or whatever.Can anyone tell me what I am not thinking about.Are they too loud? I have a rooster that fires off at 5 everyday.I live right in the middle of the city,but have an acre covered in trees.I have a tall fence,will they fly away? I can build a huge outdoor run with a roof.Any advise would help.

 

[Denninmi]

Is it legal where you are? That would be my first concern.

Overall, I'd say turkeys are reasonably quiet, not as loud as a rooster by any means. The hens are virtually silent most of the time, but the toms will gobble at all kinds of sounds, from car horns to airplane noises to other birds, human voices, slamming doors, whatever. If you are not getting any complaints about your roo, you probably would be OK with a turkey tom as well, unless they get into crow-offs with each other and keep going nonstop.

Yes, they can fly, unless you clip the wings. IMHO, it would be better in an urban environment to keep them in a covered run, both to keep them contained and to keep predators away -- you probably have raccoon, possums, and other predators there, even in the most urban of areas (Remember the coyote in downtown Chicago a couple of years ago in the deli?).

Really, there are neat birds, fun to keep as pets.

 

[BrownSheep]

my turkeys are very quiet. Mine also live quite happily with my chickens. Probably because they were raised togeather, but all the same. If you can manage that rooster I'm certain a turkey would be no problem.

 

[ivan3]

Either clip the wings or cover the run with netting. 6wk. old poults can clear an 6ft. fence. Once they're over 1 yr. old the males will stay close to the ground most of the time. The hens, on the other hand, will be flying off to hunt down nesting locations if an `acceptable' hideout isn't provided.

 

[Lagerdogger]

My turkeys can be pretty loud. They like to do synchronized gobbling. Withouth thinking too hard, I guess I have about 14 young toms, and when one gobbles, they all gobble. I would think everyone within 1/2 mile can hear them. They don't do it all the time, and its certainly not as bad as a flock of guineas!