Can I keep turkeys inside back yard with a 4 foot high fence?

[Viking84]

My back yard is 1.5 acres and is enclosed with a standard 4 foot high chain link fence. My big fat Brahma roosters and hens cannot fly over it, but my lighter anconas, sex links, minorcas and wyandottes can. I had to clip their wings to keep them in the yard so the neighbors dog does not kill them when they jump the fence. I am considering getting a few heritage turkeys. Will they be able to fly over the fence? Or should I get regular broad breasted turkeys?

 

[R2elk]

My back yard is 1.5 acres and is enclosed with a standard 4 foot high chain link fence. My big fat Brahma roosters and hens cannot fly over it, but my lighter anconas, sex links, minorcas and wyandottes can. I had to clip their wings to keep them in the yard so the neighbors dog does not kill them when they jump the fence. I am considering getting a few heritage turkeys. Will they be able to fly over the fence? Or should I get regular broad breasted turkeys?

Since you have a chain link fence, I assume that it has a top rail. Even with clipped wings that type of fence will not keep turkeys in. Especially when they are young, even broad breasted turkeys can jump that high. They don't need to fly over it. A top bar or rail on a fence is a very attractive perch site for turkeys. Once they jump up onto the rail, they will almost always get back down on the wrong side of the fence. The next thing they will do is to pace back and forth along the fence trying to get back in.

 

[SnapdragonQ]

Ditto what R2elk said.
Think of turkeys as feathered kangaroos. They can hop straight up about 6 feet and even with clipped wings they can get up in trees. And yes, they will usually get down on the wrong side of the fence then pace themselves to exhaustion trying to get back in instead of just hopping back in. Brightness is not their strongest trait. A heavy mature heritage male might (might) be kept in by your fence, but not the hens. Even broad breasted hens can jump very well.

 

[R2elk]

Ditto what R2elk said.
Think of turkeys as feathered kangaroos. They can hop straight up about 6 feet and even with clipped wings they can get up in trees. And yes, they will usually get down on the wrong side of the fence then pace themselves to exhaustion trying to get back in instead of just hopping back in. Brightness is not their strongest trait. A heavy mature heritage male might (might) be kept in by your fence, but not the hens. Even broad breasted hens can jump very well.

I made the mistake of thinking BB toms couldn't get very far off of the ground. I had a approximately 50 lb. BBW that took exception to my Airedale and came 3'+ off of the ground as he aimed his claws right at her eyes.

 

[SnapdragonQ]

I made the mistake of thinking BB toms couldn't get very far off of the ground. I had a approximately 50 lb. BBW that took exception to my Airedale and came 3'+ off of the ground as he aimed his claws right at her eyes.

Oh wow. Probably scared the dickens out of the Airedale!

My Bourbon Red tom was 40+lbs and a better pet bird could not be found anywhere. He wasn't a jumper though...just a big lovable ham.

 

[R2elk]

Oh wow. Probably scared the dickens out of the Airedale!

No, nothing bothered her. She just dodged his feet and went on like nothing happened.