Midget whites flying tendency ?

[zekii]

I am planning to hatch some Midget Whites this spring, once the poults are old enough I'll be confining them to a hoop house initially, but I would like to free range them some using electrified poultry net. I've been reading that Midget whites do fly well when young, my first plan is to feather clip one wing before letting them out of the hoop house. Any body here have experience with a similar setup, and have any pointer or hints before free ranging Midget whites or any heritage breed of turkey ?

Cheers !!!

 

[cassidy22]

I raise heritage breeds. I love them, but they do drive me nuts! They have been sleeping all winter in an Aspen tree in my yard. Some sleep on my roof. So yes, the non-double breasted varieties can fly. Not like a wild turkey, but they can get over fencing, on top of the roof, up into trees. We started attempting to catch them all before they roosted and sticking them back in their coop - but we gave up fighting nature. Through snow storms and sub freezing temps, we haven't lost a single on to sleeping in the trees.

Last year's birds took to a different spot and slept along a fenceline. Even when we rounded them all up, in the morning, they would hop the fance and roam off into the neighbor's field to lay eggs. Most of them, eventually, did not return and were dinner for the coyotes. SO I am hoping this year, if they want to live in my trees, maybe they will at least stay home. If not, I'll need to build a run, too. But I am not inclined to do so, I raise 120 turkeys each year and keep 30-40 for breeding. That's a pretty big run to make those turkeys happy....

CHickens are trainable. I've been able to lock them in a coop for a day or two, and they figure out that they are supposed to go there to sleep. Turkeys - we locked them up for 2 weeks, and as soon as we let them out, they went back to the trees. Stubborn! But I love them!

 

[zekii]

Wow 120 turkeys, I won't have that many, but then again I guess if you lose a few to predators you're not out so bad.

Well I guess I'll see how it all turns out, I read somewhere that coaxing them back to the turkey house in the evening with some good food gets them in a learned routine, which did seem to work
with my chicken flock.

:>)

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I have Midgets and they fly quite well. Even when they are more than a year old. For this reason I move their tractor every day, but I don't let them out any more. Got tired of playing turkey herd. I knew they were going back into their tractor. They knew they were going back into their tractor. But we had to play the game first...

 

[zekii]

I'll give the free range thing a try with the Midgets, but if they are a pain, I'll probably confine them
more to the tractor. Then I might consider a larger breed.

ZeKii

 

[Cottage Rose]

Doesn't clipping their wings ground them?

 

[zekii]

No just keeps them closer to the ground, so they can't fly has high... watch this video.

Doesn't clipping their wings ground them?

 

[pawtraitart]

My midget whites are trained to "go home" when I want them back in their pen. I have two separate flocks of them so they have to take turns free ranging our farm. I call them....they come.... running.......(except for the toms....it's hard to look cool and run at the same time...they walk...) I open their door.....they go right in. Sometimes I have a treat in there for them to make it worth it for them. Awesome birds. They are very manageable for me. Clipping one wing will help a bit, but there are always a few that defy gravity and get up where you don't want them. When mine stop foraging and start getting into trouble, I just get them to go home.