Lost one to a Horned owl last night

[R2elk]

What do you do when you lose turkeys to predators? with chickens I would coop everyone for a week until the predator moves on, but it is not possible for turkeys. I don't know what to do other than stay up all night worrying.

I proactively trap ground dwelling predators all year and add them to my soil improvement program.

My turkeys roost in an area that is under flight netting. Over the years I have only seen one GHO get under the flight netting and it got really freaked out about it. I've never seen another one get under there.

 

[Pollo Blanco]

We don't raise any turkeys as they need a lot of room. Sorry for your loss!

I've got the room so I figured I'd give it a go!
I purchased a used incubator in May and the person threw in a few turkey eggs which is what got me started.

 

[McChooky]

I proactively trap ground dwelling predators all year and add them to my soil improvement program.

My turkeys roost in an area that is under flight netting. Over the years I have only seen one GHO get under the flight netting and it got really freaked out about it. I've never seen another one get under there.

Considering how many they eat when they aren't protected itpays to add some netting

 

[R2elk]

Considering how many they eat when they aren't protected itpays to add some netting

The whole pen isn't covered. The netting only covers the area where the roosts are.

 

[SarahGfa]

The whole pen isn't covered. The netting only covers the area where the roosts are.

How do you prevent the turkeys from flying out of the pen where it is not covered?

 

[McChooky]

Happened around two o'clock and it seemed like the owl didn't fully leave the scene until daybreak.

There no grass where my chickens free range in a fence

 

[R2elk]

How do you prevent the turkeys from flying out of the pen where it is not covered?

I don't. The mature toms forget that they can fly. The hens fly out and make their "hidden nests" inside a perimeter fenced 2 acre area. It is convenient in that I don't have to protect their nests from the toms.

 

[SarahGfa]

I don't. The mature toms forget that they can fly. The hens fly out and make their "hidden nests" inside a perimeter fenced 2 acre area. It is convenient in that I don't have to protect their nests from the toms.

But how do you keep the hens and poults safe??? Especially when hens start taking the poults into trees. there is almost no chance for survival when they do that here.

 

[R2elk]

But how do you keep the hens and poults safe??? Especially when hens start taking the poults into trees. there is almost no chance for survival when they do that here.

First I collect the eggs until I'm done hatching. I take the poults once they're hatched and put them in the brooder. It is much easier to show and sell poults out of a brooder than from under a hen.

My turkeys have a designated roost area in the run. They do not roost in the trees.

If I do let a hen raise poults, it is in the grow out pen and not in the general population for at least the first two weeks. There are too many bad things thst can happen in the general population.

 

[SarahGfa]

First I collect the eggs until I'm done hatching. I take the poults once they're hatched and put them in the brooder. It is much easier to show and sell poults out of a brooder than from under a hen.

My turkeys have a designated roost area in the run. They do not roost in the trees.

If I do let a hen raise poults, it is in the grow out pen and not in the general population for at least the first two weeks. There are too many bad things thst can happen in the general population.

OK, so even though your hens can fly out of the pen to make hidden nests, they always come back into the covered pen to roost when not nesting. I wish my hens did that :-(
thank you for answering all my dumb questions