I don't believe it!!

[Frosty]

A neighbor just called to tell us that there is a white turkey hen in her yard! The building that I had my turkeys in collapsed in late January and one of my White Holland hens flew out to the roof of the greenhouse out by the garden, then disappeared from there. I hoped she would come home, but do to heavy snow cover making it hard for birds to find feed, a few blizzards, and extremely cold temps I figured that if a predator didn't already get her, the lack of feed and weather probably did so I pretty much gave up hope.

She made it!!!

Now to catch her... she isn't co-operating. After she flew up onto another neighbors roof, I decided to wait a while and she came down and is hunkered down by their house. I need to see if they are awake (I think the son works nights) and see if I can get her in the dark. I don't want to be sneaking around their house in the dark without telling them, probably a good way to get shot.

I think I need to put a zip-tie on her leg for now, a hen that can survive like that is a define candidate for breeding stock!

I am so happy and wanted to share...

 

[paddock36]

Good luck. My father used to have a long pole with a shepards hook on the end to hook the leg of roosting chickens or turkeys. I really wish I still had that thing.

 

[crtrlovr]

A woman I know who raises all different types of poultry uses a long-handled fishing net for captures. It is more "forgiving" than trying to hook a leg, and you don't risk breaking or dislocating a leg that way.
ETA: and CONGRATS on your girl's survival! That's fantastic!

 

[what's kickin' chicken]

that's really neat good luck catching her.....

 

[ColbyNTX]

That's crazy!

 

[Frosty]

I have a pole with the hook on the end (actually, I have two that just came with the property). I just went down and nobody answered the door. I went around the side of the building but she wasn't there. I looked up in the trees with a flashlight, no sign. I was just getting ready to leave when I heard her. She was perched on a wagon wheel by their door. Just as she was getting ready to take off, I snagged her. She feels like she was getting food somewhere, and is in good condition. I am so amazed that she made it through the worst of the winter on her own. I wonder if she was hanging out at local bird feeders? The neighbors didn't show up so I have no idea if maybe they had her and were feeding her?

On thing that I noted with interest... I don't know of anyone else around with turkeys so I am pretty sure that she is my missing girl, but once I got her home and in the light I noticed that her legs are extremely red. They look very much like the legs on a wild turkey. I wonder if the weather conditions and food that a wild turkey eats makes their legs red like that?

 

[zazouse]

amazing story.

got a pic of the escapee to share?
l bet she was eating at someones wild bird feeder if you have neighbors.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
Glad you got her back, that's pretty amazing that she made it thru the winter like that. Next time somebody comes on saying the domesticated turkeys are stupid bring this back up.

The red legs are what the old timers call "shooting the red" It means she is ready to breed.

Steve

 

[kuntrygirl]

Frosty, I am sooooooooo happy that she has returned!!!

Please keep us posted.

 

[Shad]

I recently separated one of my Bourbon Reds, he was damaging the hens. His legs were the very disappointing grey that has left me wondering where I fell short of achieving the beautiful rosy pink legs that the standard calls for.

He has been pacing relentlessly for two weeks now. Today when I checked on him, much to my delight, I noticed that he had worn much of the old dead surface scales off of his legs and was left with the beautiful rosy pink that I have coveted. I have a widower Tom (owner died) that recently came from the edge of a wildlife preserve. He had that desirable "rosy pink" in his legs, when I went to check his toenails for trimming, they were nearly worn out. Putting two and two together and remembering your post I relized that it may very well be a sign that my turkeys have it too easy.


Shad