Became an unplanned turkey owner today…

[Jyeagersgrl]

While driving home today I noticed a little chick of some sort in the road. I thought for sure it was a goner as I spotted it a huge pickup truck drove right over. But I turned around and came back to look for it. Whe I parked my car another little one came running towards me so I had my son grab that one before it went into the busy street and I grabbed the other one. I’m fairly sure they are bbw I think they fell off the Jaindl turkey truck when moving from the nursery to grow out barn or squeezed through a hole in the barn and made their way to freedom as I found them on a road near their processing plant and grow out barns.

How old would you guess they are 10ish days?? We don’t want to eat them we want to keep them as a pet but I realize they aren’t gonna live long. But I figure they worked so hard to get their freedom I’m gonna let them be happy and part of the family as long as we can.

 

[Kentucky Fan]

They can live a good life as long as you give them the correct environment and plenty of exercise. I have a broad breasted white hen that runs around with my chickens and will literally run from 100yds away to greet me when I get home. These little ones won’t live nearly as long as a heritage bird but they can be around for a good while.

 

[Jyeagersgrl]

They can live a good life as long as you give them the correct environment and plenty of exercise. I have a broad breasted white hen that runs around with my chickens and will literally run from 100yds away to greet me when I get home. These little ones won’t live nearly as long as a heritage bird but they can be around for a good while.

Thanks yea these little guys are something else I’ve had ducks, chickens, quail and peacocks but these little ones have already become so attached to us in a matter of hours. Literally my son will sit on the ground and the one he caught comes running up to him and just sits on his lap and the other one if you tell it come on will just chase you back and forth thru the yard. I find them to be extremely bright but I’ve read things saying turkeys aren’t very smart. What type of housing would you recommend we don’t currently have any birds as we had moved. Need to make sure I make it safe as we do have coyotes, foxes and bears.

 

[Kentucky Fan]

Thanks yea these little guys are something else I’ve had ducks, chickens, quail and peacocks but these little ones have already become so attached to us in a matter of hours. Literally my son will sit on the ground and the one he caught comes running up to him and just sits on his lap and the other one if you tell it come on will just chase you back and forth thru the yard. I find them to be extremely bright but I’ve read things saying turkeys aren’t very smart. What type of housing would you recommend we don’t currently have any birds as we had moved. Need to make sure I make it safe as we do have coyotes, foxes and bears.

For housing I’ll defer to someone more knowledgeable for now id find a way to keep them inside until you can get a permanent arrangement made. I had a huge area for my poultry as they live in a coop I made from a single car garage in the barn on our property. So I am not well versed in this aspect.


The good thing is you only have to get them halfway grown before the threat of predation decreases dramatically.
Most predatory animals are not gonna mess with a full grown bbw unless they are starving so you have that going for you. In my experience the big killers of most backyard poultry are the smaller predators and those are a non issue once these guys get growing. Ohh also these are gonna get big and I cannot stress enough to you how big they will get.

With that being said they are very friendly and chill creatures. Also they are very intelligent people that like to say they are not intelligent must have been around different birds than I have.

 

[Jyeagersgrl]

For housing I’ll defer to someone more knowledgeable for now id find a way to keep them inside until you can get a permanent arrangement made. I had a huge area for my poultry as they live in a coop I made from a single car garage in the barn on our property. So I am not well versed in this aspect.


The good thing is you only have to get them halfway grown before the threat of predation decreases dramatically.
Most predatory animals are not gonna mess with a full grown bbw unless they are starving so you have that going for you. In my experience the big killers of most backyard poultry are the smaller predators and those are a non issue once these guys get growing. Ohh also these are gonna get big and I cannot stress enough to you how big they will get.

With that being said they are very friendly and chill creatures. Also they are very intelligent people that like to say they are not intelligent must have been around different birds than I have.

Thanks for your input. Oh I know they are gonna get big that’s why I’m like what are you gonna live in haha. Gonna give them the best life they can have and they won’t be on the dinner table ever. They are in my office currently but I don’t think that will last long they stink but I know they are safest in there. I worry even about having them in my garage currently just in case something was hungry enough to sneak their way in. Right now they are in a dog crate with paper towels on the floor I think different bedding would help with the stench but I need to build a different cage first with a solid floor/walls. The one loves to fly/jump out of boxes currently so I know I need a lid.

 

[Kentucky Fan]

Thanks for your input. Oh I know they are gonna get big that’s why I’m like what are you gonna live in haha. Gonna give them the best life they can have and they won’t be on the dinner table ever. They are in my office currently but I don’t think that will last long they stink but I know they are safest in there. I worry even about having them in my garage currently just in case something was hungry enough to sneak their way in. Right now they are in a dog crate with paper towels on the floor I think different bedding would help with the stench but I need to build a different cage first with a solid floor/walls. The one loves to fly/jump out of boxes currently so I know I need a lid.

Pine shavings are your friend if you can get to a tractor supply get the white bag.

 

[R2elk]

Pine shavings are your friend if you can get to a tractor supply get the white bag.

Do not put turkey poults on wood shavings unless you are providing them with appropriate sized grit. They can eat the shavings and if they don't have grit in their system, they cannot digest them, become plugged up and die.

 

[Kentucky Fan]

Do not put turkey poults on wood shavings unless you are providing them with appropriate sized grit. They can eat the shavings and if they don't have grit in their system, they cannot digest them, become plugged up and die.

Yeah I probably should have mentioned that from the beginning. I’ve seen a lot of dead birds from a lack of grit. A lot of people never think about it