jopheso
Songster
- Feb 13, 2015
- 139
- 78
- 106
So my original plan was to free range 20 heritage turkeys on about 2.5 acres of pasture with about 20 trees scattered on it, mostly pecan trees. We are down to 16 birds now after losing 2 the first night and then 2 more to fowl pox(they stopped eating). All 16 now reside in a large hoop house style pen made of pallets and cattle panels and I was planning to use this as the nest house while letting them come and go as they please on the pasture.
I am now starting to get concerned about them simply flying away. My fencing is about 4 feet tall around the entire pasture, but even with a clipped wing they could easily get over that. I went with heritage so that they could forage and reproduce naturally and even those that will be processed and put in the freezer will have lived a very turkey like life, but Im starting to get a fear that as soon as I open that pen I will never see them again
by the way our flock is now 9 Narraganset and 7 midget whites. They are 8 weeks old now so I have some time to decide what to do. I guess I could build an 8 foot fence around a very large section of the pasture, but for 16 turkeys it would need to be a huge piece of pasture I think.
Does anyone free range Narraganset or midget whites? Does anyone free range any heritage breeds? If yes to either of those questions, what are your thoughts on the process and any suggestions so that my whole flock doesnt up and leave would be great.
thanks BYC!!
I am now starting to get concerned about them simply flying away. My fencing is about 4 feet tall around the entire pasture, but even with a clipped wing they could easily get over that. I went with heritage so that they could forage and reproduce naturally and even those that will be processed and put in the freezer will have lived a very turkey like life, but Im starting to get a fear that as soon as I open that pen I will never see them again
by the way our flock is now 9 Narraganset and 7 midget whites. They are 8 weeks old now so I have some time to decide what to do. I guess I could build an 8 foot fence around a very large section of the pasture, but for 16 turkeys it would need to be a huge piece of pasture I think.
Does anyone free range Narraganset or midget whites? Does anyone free range any heritage breeds? If yes to either of those questions, what are your thoughts on the process and any suggestions so that my whole flock doesnt up and leave would be great.
thanks BYC!!