How do I get my turkeys to go in shelter at night?

[tnchicken]

This is my first experience with turkeys and they will not go into their shelter at night (10x10 building with roost built in). There are 4 BB white and 5 Bourbon Reds and a couple of the BR's will roost in a small tree in their pen and the remainder huddle on the ground nearby. I have tried turning a light on at dusk and they just will not go inside on their own. It their a secret to teaching turkeys?

 

[thaiturkey]

There's a recent useful thread about this.

We trained ours by herding them gently with outstretched arms and sticks. They will take their time and graze on the way, perhaps wandering off the route home as they do. They will soon get the idea and become easier to coax but not always volunteer.

The mother to our poults often leads them home but, if we want them in earlier than does she, we herd them easily. The older turkeys will go home very late and are showing signs that, if left, they will roost on some rustic fence rails for the night. We go out to tell them it's bedtime. They mutter objections, perhaps wanting to watch the setting sun on Channel West, but nevertheless go to bed. Just like children!

Turkeys probably instinctively prefer to be outdoors. We allow ours to be out in the open for as much of daylight time as possible. We never assume that they will head for the coop without encouragement.

I don't think that a light in the coop will help.

Do you have enough perches in the coop? They like to perch and, if space is limited, will peck at each other in an attempt to get 'personal space'. If that is happening they probably will be reluctant to go in at night.

A stick will get them out of the tree.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

All of my hens go in at night. My toms are untrainable. They insist on the round pen for perching.

 

[Lagerdogger]

Mine all go for the roof. I can take them down and put them on the roosts as many times as I want and they still go back on the roof!

 

[Tunastopper]

When I first set my baby turkeys outside I lock them in the area I want them to sleep at night. I keep them caged for about a week before I let the out. Most of the are trained after that. If I still have problems then I pen them up for another week.