how high a fence or to clp wings?

[spish]

its getting close to the time where i wish to move my turkeys outside...but im worried they are going to run off!
how high should the fencing be or is it better to clip the flight feathers off?

if i put aviary netting over the top of the enclosures, would this keep them in?

 

[SED]

Are they broad breasted or heritage turkeys? If bb, then probably a four foot, maybe six foot just to be safe, tall fence would probably work, if heritage, I would do a six foot tall fence with netting on the top. They, if not overly heavy, can fly pretty good.

 

[OmaBird]

I use 6 ft horse fence and clip one wing.

 

[eggcited2]

Quote:
Our 5 month old grey slate hen was on the roof top of the chicken house, which is 9-10 feet tall. We clipped one wing, she still got up there, so clipped both. Now she roosts on the 5 foot high chain link fence railing.

I really don't have the experiance with having turkeys to say for sure what to do, but thought I'd let you know how high our hen goes - with wings and without wings.

 

[farmerlor]

I really don't like to clip wings but that's just me. I figure if a predator gets in the pen at least my girls can fly well enough to escape, the Toms will be dead regardless.

 

[ShadyHoller]

We have a 6 ft. tall fence, and I wish we had netting over it. They seem to regrow their flight feathers every time we take our eyes of them for a second, requiring a new clip job which is traumatic for them and a hassle for us. Even with one wing clipped, their urge to roost on high things gets them into interesting places: the hens can hop from the ramp going into their coop to the windowsill of the barn, to the top of the fence. They roost up there at night. When they wake up, one of them invariably gets down on the wrong side of the fence, which leaves her nervously clucking in puttering, trying to figure out how to get back in with her companions. The toms, although not broad-breasted, are content with the roosting bars we've supplied them with.

We would love to give them complete free range, but our dogs wouldn't tolerate that nonsense for a minute, and I'd like to keep the turkeys out of the garden. Maybe next year we'll build a turkey tractor. Has anyone here tractored turkeys? We love our chicken tractor.

 

[OmaBird]

Quote:
I have always lost more hens than toms. Wings never saved them. I lost everyone when I did not clip wings. Since I started clipping wings and putting them behind a second fence durring laying season, I have not lost one. If they fly over that fence they are sure to get killed.

 

[Lagerdogger]

I have a six foot fence surrounded by electric to help keep predators out. I used to clip wings, but saw too many crashes when they wanted to fly up on the roost. I don't clip anymore. Occassionally someone flies out. They hang out near the gate until someone lets them back in.

Your turkeys really don't want to escape from you. And they don't want to get separated from the other birds. Unless you have coyotes licking your fence waiting to get in, I wouldn't worry about the occassional fly-out. Its not going anywhere.

 

[eggcited2]

Quote:
I have always lost more hens than toms. Wings never saved them. I lost everyone when I did not clip wings. Since I started clipping wings and putting them behind a second fence durring laying season, I have not lost one. If they fly over that fence they are sure to get killed.

We never clipped Gertie's wings and something still killed her.

 

[PatS]

We have a handful of turkeys, 5 BRs and 1 WM. We clipped one wing of the female BRs because they were always getting up on the outbuildings next to the 6' fence and we were afraid they'd end up dog food on the other side of the fence. Well, the crows have been taunting the turkeys, then flying up on the fence posts, just out of reach. We joked they were trying to lure our birds out of the yard. Yesterday we were making breakfast and what did we see? Two of our clipped girls, sitting on 6-1/2 foot high fence posts. We brought them in and clipped their flight feathers more severely. They still easily jump up on the (people) chest-high roost. Fingers crossed...