Brush turkeys eating chicken food

[Moonlitsnow]

Hi all

I hope I posted this in the right place.

I am having major problems with wild brush turkeys eating my chickens food.

My 3 chickens are free range so they get the run of the backyard. I usually put their food outside their coop but 6 brush turkeys have been kicking the food over and eating it. I then decided to leave their food inside their coop but now all 6 of the brush turkeys go inside the coop, scare the living daylights out of my chickens while they are trying to lay and chase away my chickens from their food.

First I tried chasing the turkeys away making loud noises every time I saw one, that didn't work, they came back 10 minutes later, so I tried throwing rocks near them to scare them away, again they keep coming back, so I started actually throwing rocks at them, they still come back.

Anyways, now I am here. I am at wits end, they eat all the chickens food - I have to buy a $20 bag of food a week for 3 chickens.

The only thing I can think of is to
1. Kill them, which I don't want to do because I hate killing things, even insects.
2. Get a dog, which I can't do because my SO and I work nights
or 3. Net the whole yard, which I can't do because it is not my house.

Has anyone had an issue like this before? Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[Percheron chick]

How big are they? You can make the pop door smaller so they can't fit in. You can leave your chickens up for a few days and get the turkey's to move on. At the very least, put the food in the coop in the evening when they return to the coop.They can eat before bedtime and in the morning before they get let out. When you let them out, the food gets locked up. They will learn that food is only available between certain times. The turkeys will return to the coop for a while until they give up and move on to the neighbor's.

 

[maxsgoldens]

How about you tame the turkeys and keep them as pets like your chickens. It may seem crazy but that way you would not think of it as wasted feed

 

[browning6]

I know you hate killing things but if there is a spring turkey season you might think about harvesting them legally. or have someone come in and hunt them. i know you hate to do it but 20 dollars of feed in a week is super high! and since they have been eating your chicken feed they will taste delicious.

The other thing you can do is only feed them what they will eat twice to three times a day. that way there isn't excess food laying around. i promise your birds will love to see you if you ring the dinner bell everytime you see them.

 

[bobbi-j]

How big are they? You can make the pop door smaller so they can't fit in. You can leave your chickens up for a few days and get the turkey's to move on. At the very least, put the food in the coop in the evening when they return to the coop.They can eat before bedtime and in the morning before they get let out. When you let them out, the food gets locked up. They will learn that food is only available between certain times. The turkeys will return to the coop for a while until they give up and move on to the neighbor's.

This. Make the food inaccessible to the turkeys.