GingerAle87
Songster
I have a Spanish hen who hatched out 5 poults about 4 weeks ago. They've started escaping thier separate pen (going over the gate) in the last few days and rummaging around in my garden so I was planning on moving them back with the others this weekend.
Well I waited too long. Last night they decided the garden was boring and I saw them all wandering the front yard. When I tried to "corral" them back towards the fenced garden where thier pen is, they I stead went down the hill into the empty lot next door which is pretty heavily wooded. Went out and checked around midnight and no sign of them. This morning the hen was back and in with the other turkeys but no sign of any of her 5 poults. She seemed on edge so I set her back loose in my yard to see if she would get close enough to call them out of hiding. I'm not super hopeful but has anyone else had experience with this before. I assume they just got separated last night vs a predator but the Littles may have been picked off after separation too.
I was just about to get a few more older poults tomorrow (like 6 weeks) and I figure that's probably still the best plan as I cannot assume she would care for a new group of younger ones.
Well I waited too long. Last night they decided the garden was boring and I saw them all wandering the front yard. When I tried to "corral" them back towards the fenced garden where thier pen is, they I stead went down the hill into the empty lot next door which is pretty heavily wooded. Went out and checked around midnight and no sign of them. This morning the hen was back and in with the other turkeys but no sign of any of her 5 poults. She seemed on edge so I set her back loose in my yard to see if she would get close enough to call them out of hiding. I'm not super hopeful but has anyone else had experience with this before. I assume they just got separated last night vs a predator but the Littles may have been picked off after separation too.
I was just about to get a few more older poults tomorrow (like 6 weeks) and I figure that's probably still the best plan as I cannot assume she would care for a new group of younger ones.
