roaming turkey

[prancyhorse]

will turkeys roam away if they are moved to a new location? or will they stay like chickens do? thanks any advice is appreciated

 

[chickenzoo]

Most domesticated turkeys will stick around if you give them a week or so to adjust to their new surroundings and know where Home is....

 

[ScoobyRoo]

prancyhorse, welcome from Kansas!!

I'm by no means an expert but some questions one wants to know. How old are they? Are they moving with you? Have they been around people? etc. If they are young poults I would keep them confined for a while (week?) so that they get to know their new surroundings. If they are older, I would think that as long as they have interacted with people and know you feed them, they have no reason to wander away. I live out in the country and wild turkeys pass through here occasionally and I fear my BR's and BS's will go with them. So far they haven't.

Anybody feel free to correct me if my opinion is not right.

 

[prancyhorse]

thanks folks. i may just have to have some!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[pdpatch]

Some times it takes longer then a weeks, especially if you have Wild turkeys near by. It also depends on how many you have, and how many Wild ones there are.

If you have two or three Turkeys they are more likely to join a wild flock. the a dozen would, no matter how long you "Home" them.

There is also other reason turkeys can wonder off. last month we lots of little grass hoppers. The turkeys would roam far and wide fallowing them, then forget how to get back home and we had to go find them. Finally it got colder and no more little grass hoppers and they are now staying closer to the coop during the day.

Tom

 

[chickenannie]

I don't think you could have free-ranging turkeys on a real small plot of land. But you could if it was bigger. Here's my advice I just gave to someone else about roaming turkeys:

Try letting them out an hour before sunset. They don't want to roam as far then. Then feed or treats at their coop as it gets dark, at their pen. It will teach them to keep coming back. If you want to extend the hours you can increase it bit by bit, but always give them feed before it gets dark... they will learn you are "home".

My little baby turkey poults now follow me around when they see me. It took about a week or so, but in the morning I would always feed them and now when they see me in the morning, they think "treats!" and they come running and go with me until I set their treat down. This will gradually wear off if you have no treats for them (just like training a dog!). But it might help you to establish these patterns in order to round them up and train them to be herded and follow you.

How much room do you have for them to roam?

 

[ScoobyRoo]

I have to do the same with mine. I have 5 (had 11 turkeys) approx. 6mos. old and had to lay a treat trail to get them in the run at night and still do. Otherwise they would roost on top of the run outside. I don't mind that if I am going to be home the next morning. If I have to go to work, I'm out there coaxing them into the pen.
On another note, If I just let my turkeys, geese, and ducks out (and leave the chickens in) my turkeys do tend to roam further and across the street. If my chickens are out, they stay closer to the house.