Ideal self-sufficient Turkey?

[Celie]

Haha, it would figure - gotta pick the prickly spots and ignore the indoor nests. On one hand, she chose a nest with natural defense, though, lol.

Do domestic hens nest any warm days of the year? I wouldn't have one going off in November to brood, would I?

I can only tell you about mine. They started to lay in March this year in Southeastern Louisiana, after the weather started to warm up and the daylight hours were increasing, laid just about every day, until mid August, when daylight hours started to shorten,then went into molt and have not started. I think the daylight hours increasing and decreasing effects then like chickens. I do not use artificial light, because I want to raise mine as natural as possible. I understand that a turkey can take 2 months to molt, so I would venture to say they probably not start laying until Early March again. It probably also depends on your location and climate.

 

[aoxa]

I have 4 turkeys, 3 hens and a tom. 2 are Eastern Wild hens and a pair are Royal Palm. All refuse to sleep IN the barn, and roost on top of it. I can't really climb up there and get them every night, as it is REALLY high.. They do fine. They forage and chase around the roosters.

If I could get them into the barn I would. Not too worried about them though. They are high up, so ground predators would have an issue. We also have an LGD on guard. I can't imagine cooping them up because they are so used to living free range. They do go inside at night if it is raining.

 

[mstricer]

I have 4 turkeys, 3 hens and a tom. 2 are Eastern Wild hens and a pair are Royal Palm. All refuse to sleep IN the barn, and roost on top of it. I can't really climb up there and get them every night, as it is REALLY high.. They do fine. They forage and chase around the roosters.

If I could get them into the barn I would. Not too worried about them though. They are high up, so ground predators would have an issue. We also have an LGD on guard.

I can't imagine cooping them up because they are so used to living free range. They do go inside at night if it is raining.

I'm glad you said that, because heritage whites, roost in the tree in front of kitchen window. They won't go in either, I tried that whole lock them in the house and run thing, didn't work, came home from work to find one with its face all bloody from pacing all day. They have been becoming a nuisance lately, the toms are chasing use out the drive and into the street, and the Amish children told me they run out to the street and follow them while they go to school. Do you think if I butchered one of the toms, the other will stay with the hen?

 

[Arielle]

I'm wondering how the large breeding facilities deal with this behavior? Large pens? HIgh fencing?

 

[aoxa]

I'm glad you said that, because heritage whites, roost in the tree in front of kitchen window. They won't go in either, I tried that whole lock them in the house and run thing, didn't work, came home from work to find one with its face all bloody from pacing all day. They have been becoming a nuisance lately, the toms are chasing use out the drive and into the street, and the Amish children told me they run out to the street and follow them while they go to school. Do you think if I butchered one of the toms, the other will stay with the hen? 

There is something with turkeys and cars I'm telling you.. My 4 run after the car when I drive down to the barn. Little brats I distract them before taking off. They haven't gone in the street. I really hope they never do!

All four are on the barn roof right now. I'd rather let them be then have them roost in the barn WITH the chickens. The chickens get bullied by the turkeys on a daily basis. I'd rather not coop them together *sigh*

 

[n8mont4]

I didn't even consider Black Spanish. I'll have to read up on them. I trust the instincts of most turkeys (heck, during wild turkey season, you see exactly why they're so elusive). I'm just wondering if it's always inherent. Like the batch of chickens I got this year run/chase at my dog and scoff at my cats. They don't seem to be scared of most things, aside from hawks, lol. They're more apt to approach danger than run. I'd rather my turkeys were a bit more savvy.

@ mamawolf554: And I also forgot about the springtime, derp! No doubt they'd wander off and make a nest - and boy we've got lots of thick briers and undergrowth. It'd be a nightmare trying to find a hen and her nest. Not to mention how susceptible they'd be to predators then!

My spanish black toms just started chasing the family dog. I think all heritage breeds are protective of the hens

 

[fastrnrik]

We have 2 bronze turkeys, a tom & a hen. They are just pets/yard birds and they free range. They wanted no part of being in a pen, so they sleep in a big pine tree. I use the term "free range" loosely. We have a lot of land, but they stay close to the house, mostly hanging out in the back yard and they spend a large portion of their day on my patio staring in my back door. The hen is a little standoffish, but the tom follows me around like a dog and eats out of our hand. Ours don't chase cars, or harass the chickens or dogs, or any of that stuff. Quite the opposite actually. He just wanders around like a big dummy and minds his own business. He'll even walk through the sprinklers and it doesn't even phase him LOL. He's the turkey version of Forrest Gump, but he struts & gobbles so I'm happy. I have hunted wild turkeys for years, so I am well aware of their survival instincts, but these domestic turkeys I have are nothing like that. I'm actually happy they stay close because they would be an easy target for a coyote or other large predator.

 

[Arielle]

OP-- I'm fairly new to turkeys but have read as much as I can from here and ALBC and more. THe impression I have is tha domestic turkeys were designed to be dependent on farmers to supply a good portion of their feed in some way. ANd to stay put on the homestead. We have a lot of wild turkeys in my area and when I asked the local authorites that manage them if they restock every year they said "no," they are doing well and don't need stocking. This tells me that the wild turkeys that I see are far ranging. Years ago I had a group the was easy to identify by the number of adults and young in the group. THey cruised into my yard about every 4 days like clock work. Made me wonder if they had a range that included preferred destinations and that kept them in a loose schedule. THe wild birds I see are fast movers on long legs.

Regarding legs, I have been reading that modern selection for the BBW and BBB included shortening of the legs. I'm am curious as to why this was done and have no information on that yet. Heritage lines are suposed to have a long leg compared to these two types.

Self-sufficent? maybe only the wild turkeys are truly self sufficient on one end of the spectrum and BBW/BBB are on the other; everything else in between.

 

[FourPawz]

Does anyone else worry about clueless human hunters taking a Bourbon Red, for example? There are quite a few wild turkeys around here. One of my distant neighbors is a known poacher (he's bragged to others about his full freezer). I've only got a pair of Bourbon Reds and my husband insists they stay penned due to hunters, because, being turkeys, they resist efforts to pen them up for the night.

Have any of you ever lost a bird to a hunter? Are we being paranoid?

 

[Oregon Blues]

Someone on the duck forum just had an entire pond full of obviously domestic ducks shot by "hunters" (more like irresponsible slobs with guns).

So yes, you have to be careful about some "hunters" of the type who are irresponsible slobs with guns. They don't have to mistake your pet turkeys for wild turkeys. they will shoot them just because they are alive and in their gun sights..

Those same slobs shoot cows and horses and metal street signs that say "deer crossing".

The majority of hunters are super responsible. It's just those few idiots and you never know when they might come around. Your neighbor who is a poacher is stealing game from the public and I wouldn't put it past a poacher to steal livestock from a private party.