How to keep turkeys contained

Peevesmom

In the Brooder
Dec 28, 2017
15
9
26
I currently have 2 young turkeys that were born in June. I have them house in an old dog kennel that is about 12'x12' and want to expand their living space.
The problem is we have every predator around bears, bobcat, cougar, my dogs etc. is there a way to fence them in without allowing them to jump the fence? I know an electric fence would keep predators out, but the turkeys can jump very high even if I clip their wings. I wanted to have half of their roaming space be amongst a bunch of trees and the other half be in the grass. Please let me know if you have any helpful solutions to help me build my turkeys a much larger home to roam!
 
We use a 4 foot welded wire fence. They are good at flying out during their first year, but generally don't fly out after they reach their first spring. I clip one wing on those under a year, the hens mostly. It slows them down, but doesn't always stop it. We used to have the turkey run covered in deer netting but have switched to electric fencing wire spaced at 1 foot intervals though not the whole run is covered. I only have an occasional escape from an excited turkey.
 
What breed of turkey do you have? Male or female?

My turkeys have a 12'x16' shed (converted to turkey house). They share it with a few guineas. Their run is 6' welded wire fence with the top covered in some spaces with welded wire and in some spaces with chicken wire. It's a temporary thing as their run. (I've had a tornado rip through here and take out their pasture and one of their structures. There have been high winds as well.)

I don't clip wings.

Next year, I hope to have a different outside set up for them.

A few times, due to high winds, I have lost some of the turkeys. The ones that were blown away (by the wind - out of my visual range) eventually returned on their own. Still had to trick/capture them to get them back inside their pasture. I've also chased/captured turkeys blown a few pastures over. Sometimes, the high/strong winds make life around here interesting!

A far away neighbor clips the birds wings and has a 2 or 3' welded wire fence around an outdoor space. If I remember correctly, she's only had a few problems, but the birds (including turkeys) have always come home.

They know who feeds them! :)
 

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