Thinking of getting turkeys in spring..

[Yetti]

..What are some of the lesser flying birds? the reason I ask is I have a huge yard and normal field fence. just no over head barrier.
also which birds are less likely to stray? need some advice from those who have had them before

 

[KWAK]

BB Bronze dont fly, mine didnt wander either.

 

[Yetti]

Thats what I have been looking at. them and the Narragensett's
I was reading that someone had a 57lb BBBronze. thats huge!

 

[ColbyNTX]

The broad breasted are the only ones who really don't fly but they are also not good pets. They are bred to be slaughteres at 4-6 months. Any of the heritage breeds will fly over a 6' fence even with 1 or 2 clipped wings. I would just get the Narragansettes if that's what you want. I live on 33ac's but my birds roam only about 2-3acs. I don't clip any wings because they can not get away from any predators. They are all different, some roam and some don't so I would get some and just give it a try.

 

[Yetti]

My whole 8 acres is fenced with 47" field fence. its broken into a couple of pastures. the ducks and geese I have are doing well and they have managed grazing the yard well. I leave the gates open and they don't stray far from the house about 300' is about the most they go out. I expect the turkeys would be about the same?
as for the Big Breasted Bronze I do expect to cook a few. I don't expect to make pets of everything. secondly I have to account for losses from predators ( none yet thanks) I am figuring on maybe 15-20 birds to get my turkey on. figure I can process at least half and pic out the ones with the best temperament to keep.

 

[dwest]

I had BB this past year and found they simply didn't have the desire or energy to wander far. Quite honestly, once they got bigger they'd move 20-30 feet at a time then needed to sit down for a rest! We're now accumulating breeding stock in the heritage breeds for next spring and I expect it will take a bit of training to get them to stay nearby instead of wandering. Probably your biggest advantage will be to train them while they're young before they are able to fly. Get them into a regular routine of when food is put out, where they go at night, keep water in the same places...all things that will imbed in them where 'home' is.

 

[Arielle]

I had both BBW and BR chicks this summer. The BBW didn't move very far and were wasy to fence. No flying over the fencing. ANd as the previous poster mentioned, they would eat and then sit down. I kept them fenced as they were so defenseless. Great dinners. Toms dressed in at 35#, hens 22-24#. Haven't found a roasting pan to fit the 35# toms--not even the new one DH bought me for Christmas! LOL

BR, hatched early July, travel in a group like hoods; always together, harrassing other birds and our cat. Naughty boys. Some when into far pasture areas and 2 trotted back and the third flew 100 feet and beat his siblings to the coop. I have found them on my car, on top of the barn, on top of their coop. No limits. Like I said, like a band of naughty boys.

Will breed the BR in the spring and buy BBW poults again.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

I too am leaning towards some turkeys this spring. Before I had Royal Palms and they were always flying out of the pen. I had 5 ft. Wire and they would clear it in a New York second.