How old before free range?

[khs2424]

I have 4, 12 week old eastern turkeys in a pen now. I was just wondering, at what age can I let them out to free range?

TIA

 

[ColbyNTX]

Depends on how well your area is protected from predators. 12 weeks is old enough to free range but its up to when you are comfortable.

 

[khs2424]

Honestly wouldn't say I'm comfortable ever letting them out of the safety of their pen. How can I teach them to come back into their pen at night to roost? I'm so afraid that if I let them out, I'll just never see them again.

 

[ColbyNTX]

If you have raised them there then they are not going to take off. It's a risk you take when you freerange birds. I raise extras every year in case I loose a few.

 

[khs2424]

So I guess to put it in more simpler terms, they think of their pen as "home" and they should go back there in the evening. Correct? Much like chickens?

 

[ivan3]

Kind of like chickens. Begin by letting them out an hour before sundown and stay out with them. When they start eyeballing trees/roof move them back into the pen and distribute a few treats; helps to have a few grapes to squeeze open and drop on palm - safest way feed beaky turks.

Need to be consistent about their returning to pen, and inconsistent with treats (intermittent conditioning works best).

During the winter our turks always march off into their run and roost in their shed a bit earlier than the chooks (without intervention), in the summer the timing is reversed.