Wandering Tom!

[Worriedturkeymum]

Hi all! I am looking for some advice. I have owned female turkeys for a while and never had an issue. Last November we added a young Tom to our flock and he sure is a character lol About a month ago, he figured out that he can jump the fence (and it's high) and has been wandering around our property. He has been staying on our land so it hasn't been an issue. However, last night and this morning he has decided to wander off quite a way to our closest neighbor's house and is gobbling at their house and waking them up! I assume this is because it is mating season. He does have a female but apparently, that is not enough ha ha ha. Other than a mile-high fence, with a net, does anyone have any suggestions? Someone recommended decoy turkeys? I really don't want to clip his wings if I can help it. I am also concerned that now he has figured out he can wander that he will continue to do so after mating season! Any suggestions welcome

 

[Molpet]

More hens should help.
Does your fence have a top rail that he can jump on. I have a 4ft that the toms don't jump. But there's no rail to stage from.
If you have a top rail you could put an extension of floppy fence so he can't land on it.
Mine sometimes come down from the trees on the wrong side and try to figure out how to get back in.

 

[Worriedturkeymum]

It does have a top rail, that may be the issue!!! Thankyou!!!

 

[R2elk]

It does have a top rail, that may be the issue!!! Thankyou!!!

The top rail is an appealing perch site. Turkeys that perch on a top rail will almost always get down on the wrong side of the fence.

 

[Baybrio]

We had to rig up a thinish pvc pipe that would spin if they landed on it to keep ours off the deck railing.

That would be a lot of work on a fence. I've heard you can use floppy chicken wire on the top of a fence. They don't/can't land on that.

 

[R2elk]

We had to rig up a thinish pvc pipe that would spin if they landed on it to keep ours off the deck railing.

That would be a lot of work on a fence. I've heard you can use floppy chicken wire on the top of a fence. They don't/can't land on that.

The simplest method is to not put up a top bar or rail on the fence. I am using 6' welded wire as my perimeter fence. I did not add anything at the top of the fence. It does a very good job of keeping my turkeys in.