Anyone free range on ALLOT of land?

[iajewel]

its a standard woven wire fence, you know, the kind that keeps cattle or sheep in.

 

[ivan3]

Forgot: Another thing you're going to have to consider is how to deal with hens (heritage varieties) once they start nesting (is property wooded or completely cleared?). Without penning up hens and providing nesting locations - 30 acre `easter egg' hunts, or 40 poults showing up in creche with mamas will be interesting to say the least.

 

[iajewel]

I don't have to worry about air attacks. My dog is very keen on anything that flies. Even robins are not allowed in the Gabe no fly zone. when the geese migrate he goes insane. He really does love his birds.

I have never had turkeys fly, so I never really gave that a thought. I have only had Bronze. I want the Tiger bronze for the pasture so badly, but don't want to spend money if they won't make it. Its a heart break and I don't want it for me or them. I now have Midget whites, and again.. not really a worry about flying the coop. All the Chickens and Turkeys are on about an acer fenced right now and all wings clipped, even the Muscovy. I would not want to clip wings in the large pasture due to predators, however want birds that won't fly either. There some small trees in some places along that fence line yes, however nothing a chain saw and a weekend won't fix.

 

[njduck]

they can get over that fence, the other thing I will say is. We have wild turkeys here and they love to nest in my hay fields. they will not leave their nest for nothing. you realize you hit a nest right after the hen goes right through the haybine. I haven't had 1 survive the crimping rollers yet. They lay perfectly flat when you get near them with a tractor and you never see them

 

[iajewel]

Quote:
Right now the land is hay ground, however I would leave the west end, the area that the turkeys would be in un-mowed for fear of mowing the birds. My thought was to keep them tame and in the spring bring in the hens and pen them, then in the summer allow them to run as well. IF they hatch eggs.. more power to them, but ya.. I want mine off the top.

 

[Alexander]

I free range all of my animals in an acre of land.Chickens,turkeys rabbits and soon ducks and geese.

My fence is 1,70 meter tall and the top is leaning towards the outside to prevent predators from climbing.

 

[iajewel]

You don't have issues with Black head running Turkeys and chickens?

 

[Oregon Blues]

If the pole barn is the only shade on 30 acres, I suspect that is not enough shade for the summer months. Maybe a few small loafing sheds on skids that you could remove if you needed to?

 

[Lotsapaints]

I don't have lots of experience but I can tell you that they can fly out of your fence if they have a hankering to go exploring...if you are going to raise them from poults I would use a portable dog kennel with a cover under your pole barn for teaching them where they should be and put them back into the pen until they are grown 6 to 7 months at the least. Later when the jennies are wanting to set use the dog kennel for her to raise the young ones in those babies will imprint on where they were hatched I know.....after you have them for a time you will understand better what needs to be done. The ones I hatched out this year from my stock are so much easier to train where to roost etc and I have one who is my yard watch he helps me feed and keeps a good eye on my grow out pens of chickens he's my buddy.