Turkey questions? A LOT :)

[warmfuzzies]

I have been really wishing for some turkeys, but I dont know....

W dont have that much land. OUr chickens free range, but the turkeys woud probably have to be pinned up. DO they fly really well? Are they OK on free range or do they wander?

Are they NICE? we have young children. Do they have HUGE poops like I've read, and do they really roost on your vehicles?

The poults are too expensive to raise just for meat, so I would want to keep about two hens and a tom to raise babies. Are they friendly when they get older? How much room do they need if we were to pen them, and how tall of a fence?

 

[chseeads]

They don't fly super well, but they can fly better than chickens typically, at least unless they are big and heavy.

When I had turkeys in the past I let them out to range. They will come back to their house to roost.....generally, though sometimes they'll want to roost in trees.....you can try to herd them back to their house if they do that though....

I never had any that were mean. I have heard of people having mean gobblers, but I never had any that would bother you.

They do poop pretty big, yeah. lol

And they are not beyond getting up on top of your car on occasion.

I had one once that was in the garage (garage door was open) on top of the vehicle.... Upon trying to shoosh her off the top of it, rather than jumping down and going out the door, she flew out the window - THROUGH the plate glass.....shattered it to a million pieces. She was fine.

They can be friendly...depends on how you raise them probably. I had one old gobbler named Lurkey that I raised from a baby till he got old and decrepit and died of old age or whatever. I would catch him and pet him and stuff all the time. He was a pretty tame old guy.

They probably COULD fly out of a pen unless you put a top on it or maybe clipped their wings.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

do it! do it! you'll love them!!!

Q: OUr chickens free range, but the turkeys woud probably have to be pinned up.
A: nope free range them! i'd suggest a heritage breed tho.. our Bourbon Reds like to free range better than bagged feed

Q: DO they fly really well?
A: more like glide.. but they fly. our most ridiculous turkey hen gets up on our roof of our house just to look around

Q:Are they OK on free range or do they wander?
A: free range GREAT but just have what they need in their range area or they will go looking for it

Q: Are they NICE? we have young children.
A: yep! fun and interactive

Qo they have HUGE poops like I've read
A: oh golly yes

Q: and do they really roost on your vehicles?
A: ours havent done this....

Q: The poults are too expensive to raise just for meat, so I would want to keep about two hens and a tom to raise babies.
A: you must have a heritage breed for this - the BBW's and other 'commercial' breeds cant reproduce naturally

Q:Are they friendly when they get older?
A: our hens are fine.. our tom, TZ got mean when they went into breeding season. just carry a stick.

Q: How much room do they need if we were to pen them, and ho
w tall of a fence?
A: ours have a good sized yard and a 4 ft fence keeps them in - provided they have everything they need.


good luck!

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
Well said Girl, You did forget one very important thing though.

"Everybody loves a turkey"

Steve in NC

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

you are right, Steve! EVERYBODY loves a turkey!!!

say i need to post my pix of my latest BR poults - they are dillies! less than a week old and already keeping me on my toes. our other hen, TurkeyMomma and her six were on walkabout today - they love being outside. i'm going to be introducing Mr Pipps to her babies soon - he needs to give up living with the chickens and take his rightful place in the TurkeyTown.

some of us REALLY love turkeys!
;-)

 

[HenniePennie]

ohiofarmgirl wrote that ..."the BBW's and other 'commercial' breeds cant reproduce naturally"

I beg to differ with that. I have a one year old bronze breasted hen and I took her to the local feed store where they have a pair. The tom took right after her and the poor girl was so beaten up from him mating they had to move her after a few days into a different pen until I could get there to pick her up.

She had lost about 3lbs, plus was totally tramatized. After all she had free ranged since she was 2 months old.

She is sitting on 6 eggs and I am counting the days when they should start hatching.

Lucky is a very sweet turkey. I have small grandaughters who come over & pet her. She has always been very good infact she will sit so they can pet her. She runs with 9 laying hens and is at the top of the pecking order. Boy does she keep them in line!!

I love my turkey

 

[warmfuzzies]

Now to convince DH... we rent, and we have about one acre, but we are surrunded on all sides by alfalfa fields. But we are also hoping to get a few (like 5-6) bottle calves, and I have a pretty large garden.

I am afraid we will run out of room! Maybe it woud e good if they slept in the trees...

 

[chunky_ficken]

Quote:
All of what Ohiofarmgirl said and then some.....lol.......Our alpha hen goes across the road to the elementary school and plays with the kids on the playground.....The principal called me to come get her one day towards the end of school. Some of them are literally as social as dogs......and a lot of fun.

Our gobbler however, he has gone after my Golden Retriever when he comes between him and the hens.......never hurt him but sure has him cowed down!

Have fun and go for it.....

 

[warmfuzzies]

I will have DH read this now... LOL I may have to find a source for local turkey eggs!

 

[chickenannie]

Quote:
All of what Ohiofarmgirl said and then some.....lol.......Our alpha hen goes across the road to the elementary school and plays with the kids on the playground.....The principal called me to come get her one day towards the end of school. Some of them are literally as social as dogs......and a lot of fun.

Our gobbler however, he has gone after my Golden Retriever when he comes between him and the hens.......never hurt him but sure has him cowed down!

Have fun and go for it.....

Just curious, how did the kids play with your turkey?