Turkeys won't go in the chicken house anymore

[jbeal9]

This is our first year with turkeys. We got them as dayolds. They are about 12 weeks now and have, for the most part, free ranged with our chickens and roosted with them. The last 2 nights, they have stayed outside the chicken house and roosted on the woodpile or on the sides of our utility trailer. Why did they change their roosting habit? I really need to figure this out because I'm afraid a predator will get them.

 

[Olive Hill]

They changed their minds because they're turkeys. That about sums it up. Turkeys almost always prefer outside.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

The toms stay out & the hens go in at night here. Maybe the toms are standing guard. I had a tom a few years back that stayed inside for the first year, & then he moved outside to roost on the round pen through rain, snow,or hail. I'd chase him in during bad weather, & he'd go right back out.

 

[Wolfwoman]

Well, it quite obvious that they know you call it the CHICKEN house and not the TURKEY house and so... they think they don't belong

 

[jbeal9]

Thank you all for the responses. I guess they finally realized that they are not chickens although it was so darn cute when they were babies to see them running after our new Mama hens and her babies. So, this is probably dumb, but I really don't know if my turkeys are boys or girls. They all look pretty much the same. All 5 are outside tonight. Maybe they're all Toms.

 

[ivan3]

Do they have plenty of room to roost in the coop? Our first turks took about a month of training (let `em roost outside and then move them after dark) until they got the idea. Our only poult to hatch this year is going on seven weeks and has already been in the trees, but she is catching on very quickly.

Preds are a problem. Our neighbor's had ten turks last year, now they have none. Ours are on lockdown at night and the traps are always set.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Hey ivan3, I sure could put that handsome RP tom to use with my RP girls! I'll trade you 3 Blue Slate toms!

 

[ivan3]

birdaholic wrote: Hey ivan3, I sure could put that handsome RP tom to use with my RP girls! I'll trade you 3 Blue Slate toms!

Wish he was younger (5yr.). The poult is his and the Blue Slate hen's. Only egg to hatch of twenty-two. Think this might be age related. I'm sure he'd be pleased to make your hen's acquaintance, but we're at our `one Slate tom' limit.

 

[jbeal9]

Yes, they could be feeling a bit crowded in there. There is really only 1 rafter on which to roost and the chickens take most of it. I had 1 or 2 turkeys roosting up there but the other 3 stayed on the ledges of the nesting boxes, leaving a big mess behind. I do have another side of the chicken house I am not currently using. Maybe we'll fix it up for the turkeys. Geez.. it all seems so easy and fun when they're little fuzzy babies!

 

[ivan3]

jbeal9 wrote: Geez.. it all seems so easy and fun when they're little fuzzy babies

Except for the jakes/toms sparring, and the hens wanting to wander off to nest on the most predator prone area of one's property, they are pretty healthy, low maintenance, and smart (patient) enough to get along with humans (most of the time).

ed: clarity​