Thinking about getting turkeys, some questions!

[cjkleck]

I wasn't comparing to store bought. I am just debating on heritage vs broad breasted. We already have chickens so to keep a trio of turkeys through the winter I wouldn't think to be a big deal. We go out to feed the chickens anyways!

 

[BlessedCountry6]

Broad breasted are for meat so you have to watch their food so they don't get to heavy to walk if you keep them long term. They love to stay in one spot and eat like meat chickens over free ranging like the heritage breeds is what I have read. Also broad breasted can't mate so no babies from them.

I have heritage turkeys and they love to free range. They will come in with their crops huge with food because they eat most anything. Even on days my chickens need extra food because they didn't find much my turkeys have full crops. They always love an extra snack though.

They also love to roost in the trees. It's fun to watch. Mine wouldn't stay in the coop till I put in some higher perches for them. They use to roost in our coop yard on a bar that was over our heads. I had to watch for falling droppings. I finally got hit one night but at least it was on my arm and not my face. Lol

I would agree that my turkeys did pick on my chickens and ducks they were raised with but they don't do it much now that they r all grown.

We just processed one of our toms so we have a tom and 2 hens left. My tom struts all day long. Well today one of my roosters tried to mate with one of my drakes. My poor duck seemed very offended. He got the other drakes together and came up to my Tom marching behind him and quacking as loud as he can with his buddies. I've seen it happen a few times. When my ducks do this the tom marches around leading them and the roosters leave my ducks alone. I've named my tom The General because of this strange relationship he has with the ducks he was raised with.

 

[cjkleck]

I have one concern with free ranging turkeys. Do they stay around like chickens do? We live by a busy road and I wouldnt want any to go out by the road.

 

[mirandaleecon]

I have one concern with free ranging turkeys. Do they stay around like chickens do? We live by a busy road and I wouldnt want any to go out by the road.

I have the same concern. There are about 20-30 acres of trees to one side, so there is plenty of area to roam but if they get curious about the neighbors across the street, there may be issues. My peas have ventured to the roadside a couple times but after shooing them back, I think they have realized they aren't supposed to go that way and there is plenty of room to explore on the rest of the property. I don't know if I'll be as successful with turkeys though...

 

[cjkleck]

We have only about 5 acres but have fields around us. So it's no big deal if theyou wander in the fields. Their coop would be back from the road. My chickens never went by the road. But I have never had turkeys! So I don't know how curious they are

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Turkeys do try to roam as far as they can, so mine never totally free range, I like controlling my turkeys movements, I don't like them running amok or climbing in my trees, I put mine out and when either I or them have had enough they get put back in their spacious run.

There were quite a few posts this year about turkeys just showing up in people's yards, and a few about having to go find the turkeys. I don't think turkeys are as bonded to a coop like chickens can be, and they always need reminding. I think if it's just two or three than it's not as bad, I have fifteen and they form quite a rowdy band when free ranging.

 

[iluvmypetz]

I have a walk in coop where we raise a huge mixed flock and we keep 3 turkeys with all kinds of other birds and to be quite honest they all get along so well.

 

[teria]

Turkeys definitely do not stay home if allowed to free range. They are intensely curious and cannot resist exploring. Ours will spend quite a long time investigating any new thing we put in the yard. Luckily we have a very tall cedar fence that surrounds our property, and I keep one wing on all my birds clipped to slow down their tendency to escape. So far, no one has gone awol, although our Tom did spend quite a few hours peering over the fence from the top of his coop watching everything the neighbors did. Now that the Tom is gone, our jenny ( I figured out that means turkey hen) just follows our flock of chickens around all day, not terribly interested in exploring any more.

 

[iluvmypetz]

My 3 turkeys are tame so they stay in our yard when we let them out of the coop, so I guess it just depends on how tame they are.

 

[BlessedCountry6]

Mine stay in our fenced yards. I clip their wings. All my birds will hop our back fence because my cows lay down in front of it and they hop on her back and jump over. Lol. Besides that our fences keep them in.