The Turkeys Have Landed! (my new turkeys have come home)

[MammaMayI]

So...I have two adult turkeys (one tom and one hen)--named Two Toed Jack (apparently a raccoon ate one of his toes off when he was a baby) and Hildy. We'll be keeping them to breed. Then we have two poults who we'll be making dinners of. The poults and the hen are Narragansette (so pretty!) and the tom is Red Bourban. They are ensconsed in a good sized (and rodent proofed) stall, and have been there since yesterday morning (Saturday). It's now Sunday evening. They are calm now when we go in to talk to them and check their food and water... but HOW LONG TO LEAVE THEM IN THE STALL? They are accustomed to completely free range. Their former owner said that they often stayed out and roosted in the trees at night, even. I would like to call them back in, if they'll come, at night--we have coyotes around here, and I worry for the babies. BUT, how long do I leave them in the stall so that they know it's "home" where the food and water are?

Any suggestions? I don't want them to go out of their minds being locked up---but on the other hand, I don't want them to leave the barn, leave the pasture, and never come back! (I just paid a good amount for those turkeys!).

Thanks for helping a newbie. I LOVE them already, and want to do right by them!

 

[sgribble]

I would keep them up for at least a month. In a couple of weeks turn them out in the evening while you can stay and watch them and make sure they go back in and close them up before dark!