Give me the dirt on turkeys

[TimG]

I've just (impulse) purchased two 6 week old Broad Breasted Whites. I've read/skimmed through much of this thread, but am left with a couple questions.

1) If I put the two turkeys in with my layers tonight (on the roost that the chickens will not use for some reason) and then let them out into the yard tomorrow when everybody else goes out, am I likely to find that the turkeys wander off during the day and never come back? Or, will they likely come back to where they found their food and water and basically blend right into the flock? With some effort, I can isolate the turkeys for a while, but I'd rather not do that and I'd be happy if they were free ranging during most of the day.

2) I'd like to discourage flying -- the run that is attached to the coop is not covered and I'd like them to stay in the run in the morning before I let them into the yard. Should I be considering clipping wings?

Thanks,
Tim

 

[terri9630]

My BBW's have a 4ft fence and they are to heavy to fly over. They are 19 1/2 weeks old now and have been out there since they were 8 weeks old. I let them out in the yard and sometimes they go back in their pen and sometimes they don't. I use a long stick to tap them on the wing to get them to turn the way I want when I have to herd them back to their pen.

 

[ericsplls]

I just finished reading the whole thread. Wow I'm just as lost on what I want as when I first started. I really like the size of the bsw and midget whites but would much rather have a more natural colored bird. It just doesn't seem right whatching a snow white bird in a pasture. It's not just turkeys, I have recently given away my last white chicken. Has anyone worked on a small colored bird. I saw the jersey buff on a website but haven't seen any breeders for them. I guess one reason I stay away from white birds is we have plenty of predators and I free range alot of birds. I keep my breeders penned but really enjoy watching the chickens do what chickens do so I free range everything I don't need to hatch eggs from. So far I have lost less birds since I started free ranging than I did when I kept everything in tractors and runs. I'll lose one occasionally but when they were in tractors in the rare event a dog got into one it usually killed evey chicken in it before it left. I have a neighbor who produces quail on a large scale so the few owl's and hawks that take up residence usually have plenty to eat but their time here is short. I plan to fence the back pasture this winter and will probably try to keep the turkeys there.

 

[onthespot]

BYC'er longranger has some jersey buffs he is growing out. he should have eggs and/or poults this coming spring. They look like they would do well, camo wise. Veriegated muted brown/yellow tones, with enough shades to really break up the profile. He says they are some of his gentlest, calmest birds too! Drop him a PM and see if he is keeping a waiting list yet.

 

[shelleyd2008]

I have yet to let my turkeys out of their house and they are about 5 months old. At first they were too young, then it was I'm scared something will get them. I'm still scared something will get them, especially since I only have 4 turkeys. I've recently made a pen for them, but it's only 4 1/2' tall. I (enter sarcastic tone) was going to make a hoop house for them to 'go outside' in, but my dad decided to just put a fence up. His solution was to put a tarp over it so they couldn't fly out. I tried that, but since their pen is right next to the horse pasture fence, the stupid horses decided to come and bite the tarp, so that won't work.

3 of them are about 5 months old, I'm thinking I got them the end of March. One of them is still in a different pen with some young chickens, she is about 10 weeks old. The 'wire' of the older turkeys' pen is 16' cattle panels, each square is 4" x 6", so the young one would be able to get through that I'm sure.

So I guess what I'm asking is will the older turkeys fly out of their pen? The panels are 4 1/2' high. If I ever do let them free range, will they go back to their house on their own or feed the wildlife by sleeping in the trees somewhere?

ETA: The older 3 are lilac turkeys, the young one is a bronze/RP cross.

 

[TimG]

FWIW, the first day at their new home, my 6-week old turkeys stayed in the run all day even though the door was open. The second day they braved the outside world and hung out with the chickens most of the day. But, late in the afternoon I heard them making lots of noise, so went out and found them on the wrong side of the barn looking very lost.

 

[Lotsapaints]

Quote:
4 1/2 ft isn't high enough they will go exploring 6ft might work as long as there isn't a tree or building close enough for them to use to get over....mine go thru the horse pen under the water trough to get to the wood yard they come home every morning and they get out of an eleven ft wall using a auto waterer as a jump up place......

 

[jason_mazzy]

Steve, what gobblers do you have started this year?

 

[bargain]

Quote:
4 1/2 ft isn't high enough they will go exploring 6ft might work as long as there isn't a tree or building close enough for them to use to get over....mine go thru the horse pen under the water trough to get to the wood yard they come home every morning and they get out of an eleven ft wall using a auto waterer as a jump up place......

Agree, we are using 10 ft fencing,,, those pretty birds surely can fly up high and walk on tops of shelter, etc!
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[yoker]

I ordered 10 turkeys!!!!!!!!!!!