Give me the dirt on turkeys

[freemotion]

That reminds me of my first close encounter with wild turkeys years ago....I was cleaning stalls and dumping a load of horse manure onto a compost pile quite a few yards into the woods. I stopped on top of the large pile and took a breather, just quietly standing there and gazing around at the spring woods.

After a couple minutes of taking in the view from my mountaintop, I got the weird sense that the woods were moving all around me. Another few seconds of trying to figure this new sensation out, and I realized that I was surrounded by about 40 wild turkeys, a few adults and many, many poults. It was pretty amazing how they just disappeared into thin air when I then moved. They really just hunkered down and held really, really still, but to my unaccustomed eyes, it was like they all just evaporated. So cool.

 

[chickenannie]

Quote:
Wow, that sounds amazing!

 

[LovinMyHensInNC!]

Thank you so much for your VERY helpful and insightful information, chickenannie! I went looking for them today with no luck. I will keep looking for her but if still no luck, hopefully in 28 days I will have good news to tell! She is pure white (a beauty!) so I wouldn't think it would be that hard to find her (although we live next to a pretty heavily wooded area)! These are the first turkeys I have owned so I am learning quite a bit this first year! I wouldn't think they could go long without water (unless it rained) so I am afraid maybe a predator has already found them.

 

[freemotion]

Don't give up too easily, unless you find a big pile of feathers somewhere. I had a guinea get chased INTO the woods by "helpful" neighbors when I wasn't home and I was convinced that she was eaten by the numerous coyotes that prowl every night outside my fences.

About 2-3 weeks later, in talking with a neighbor who lives about 1/2 mile away in a suburban area (many houses between us), she told me a guinea showed up at their house about 2-3 weeks earlier and was living in the front flower garden and sleeping on their bedroom window air conditioner at night. She thought it was cute until she saw all the poop on the AC unit! She did not know I had guineas.

I went and got her after dark that night by sneaking up under the AC unit and tossing a blanket over her. She's still with us a year or so later!

OK, I know guineas are not turkeys, but they both laugh at fences equally.

 

[LovinMyHensInNC!]

Thanks for the encouragement! I will definitely keep looking... maybe I will post some "lost turkeys" signs around my neighborhood

! I remember the first time our turkeys and guineas made their way to our back porch railing!... It was definitely cute at FIRST! We now keep a bowl full of ping-pong balls at the back door!

I have not noticed whether or not the turkeys are coming for food in the early morning (I admit I am not a morning person and prefer to wake after 7!). Can domestic turkeys sustain themselves solely from things they find in the woods for a long period of time???

Thanks all!

 

[chickenannie]

They're not going to grow fat, but heritage turkeys are good foragers and in springtime there are starting to be bugs and worms available (later in summer, they eat a lot of weed and grass seeds "grain" but those aren't out yet). So they might manage ok, but it would still be better for them to have feed available.

Why don't you get up just one morning to check if they come for feed. I'm not a morning person either, though my birds want me to be! What breed are your turkeys?

 

[LovinMyHensInNC!]

Thanks for the info! I will make a point of waking up early one morning

. They are Royal Palm turkeys.

 

[boxermom]

I had been planning on getting 2 turkey poults the end of April when I got my chicks. Well, today the feed store called and said the turkeys are in. The brooder box I had planned to use, is currently in use w/ new kittens. Can a brooder box be too big? My DH built a beautiful BB for my 51 chicks. It is approx 24sq ft. I can move the turks when I see how big they will be when it gets closer to "chicky time." The turkeys are BBB and GrW. Would it work to add 2 heritage turkeys approx 4 weeks later when I get the chicks? (The kitten box will be free by then)

Also, DH is concerned about amt of feed and their flying. I will be free ranging when I am home. We have approx 6 1/2 acres w/ pens and a grove. Thanks for your patience. I thought I had 4 more weeks to study!

 

[MrsSmitho]

Howdy!
My 2 cents: I am new to this turkey stuff also

Our first 2 were 10 mt old poults, raised with chickens...since we got 4 whites and 3 Burbon babies from the feed store...all have been in with the chicks from day 1. They grow a LOT faster than the chicks...so to suggest on one of the questions...don't believe there could EVER be too much room for them!
They love to flutter and run, jump, flap!! It is so cute!!
They are addictive! They are so sweet and love the lovin'.
I would think by the time the chicks are in, the turkey poults will be big enough to go out to the coop. I have noticed the poults eat quite a bit, but the older 2 do not eat very much. Ours aren't free-ranged, but are in large pens, so there is plenty of grass, bugs, etc.

I am sure there are a lot more folks out there who have been doing this way longer than us. Just my experiences so far

Good luck!!

 

[ivan3]

Size of brooder box isn't an issue. Making sure there is warm area/area to avoid being too warm, and minimal drafts are only issues. If the poults are day olds you will need to make sure they know how to get the water and food. put some marbles in waterer - dip their beaks in it if they won't follow your wet finger to it - BB's aren't so bright, though way too sociable...

We had no problem with chicks and poults of same age together (chicks help the poults get over that initial developmental hump, i.e., `where's the food and water?').