Do you think you could set/make a wire or thorny shelter around her? When our turkey hen went off into the weeds, that's what we did. Set strong wire and thorns on three sides, and more complicated thorns on her entrance side. We did it over a few days so she wouldn't get too upset and it looked like a brushpile of thorns. finally impossible to get an arm in there without it getting torn up. Turkey mom had no problems going in and out.
That might work with coyotes.... but since Friday I have had a skunk, 2 opossums and this morning a raccoon. Which could all get in that.
Perhaps you need to go into "eliminate predators" mode.
She has been in "eliminate predators" mode for many years as have I.
Beautiful turkeys. I think you'll like the poults from Porter's as well. I told my wife yesterday that if I had known turkeys were so fun, that I would have raised them before now.Hard to believe that around 14 weeks ago these were two inches tall!
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The “gang” of five toms has a clear alpha. He’s the largest of the bunch and displays more often. He accepts challengers daily but so far he’s undefeated in wrestling. I’ve even seen him just go straight down the line and whip the other four in sequential order lol “OH, YOU WANT SOME TOO!?” — at least that’s what I think it sounds like he’s saying.
Unless the others all of a sudden have growth spurts and surpass him in snood biting/wrestling imagine he’s going to be the tom I end up retaining.
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In other news….as some of you recommended I sourced some more turkeys. My neighbor has two more Narragansett hens I can buy and I also found out that Porter’s Heritage Turkey’s was having a sale….. so I got 15 of the mixed cross breeders choice and will have more poults later this fall.My intentions are to retain a few extra hens and get closer to an ideal tom/hen ratio and then to stock the freezer with the rest.
I’m going to keep at it with the electric netting…For me in my situation it works well. YMMV but the turkeys have so much space they really never fly out. Unless it’s really windy and they get zoomies… which getting to watch makes the walk to escort them back to a gate worth it.
those have all been eliminated this week.
Speaking of predators, my 8 week old poults are still in an 8' x 12' coop at night and allowed outside in a covered run during the day. I am planning on pasturing them sometime around Labor Day. But I am a little concerned because we have the usual predators in Southside Virginia including coyotes, foxes, raccoons, skunks, opossums and weasels. And just last week, when I went out to shut the coop at dark, there was what I believe to be a Great Horned owl sitting up in a tree about 20 feet from their enclosure. I actually worry the most about it due to its sheer size.
Thanks! Ha I’ve had the same thought. They’re a ton of fun. I love the hens, I have one that was a slow hatcher and she got held a lot. She still comes and finds me and scratches my foot, signaling that she wants to be carried/pet for a while. lol If only turkeys laid eggs at the rate chickens do.
Those owls can take cats so poultry are easy work. You still have a month and they’re 8 weeks now so hopefully they’ll get bigger by then but I’d still be careful especially at night, lock them in. Mine have been outdoors uncovered since week 4, but every night they’re locked in behind electric.
