Will they fly?

[Dondon32]

Hi there, first time turkey owner! I have 3 gorgeous turkeys , 2 hens and 1 Tom. Large breasted ones (these are pardoned turkeys and my babies ) I have them in their baby enclosure at the moment (now with roost bars inside not shown in picture) but would love to let them out to roam especially because they are growing so fast! although I would have to keep them enclosed in a specific area with electric poultry netting. My questions is 1) would they fly over and out? I’ve heard they can fly pretty high and I want to keep them safe from mr fox. Obviously I have the netting for my chooks and it’s fine but is it ok for turkeys?. And if they would fly do people clip wings on turkeys? - not keen on this idea but do want them to have as much space as possible. Any help very much appreciated.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Broad breasted ones don't fly (I think) but heritage breeds will

 

[Dondon32]

Thankyou for your reply. I know that when they get bigger they may struggle to but wasn’t too sure

 

[R2elk]

Thankyou for your reply. I know that when they get bigger they may struggle to but wasn’t too sure

Young BBs fly very well. They don't lose their ability to fly until they are heavier. Even when they are heavier, they can jump surprisingly high.

If you want them to stay inside the fence, make sure that you do not have a top bar or rail on the fence. That will look like an attractive roost to them and they will jump up to get on it. If they sit on the railing, they will inevitably get down on the wrong side of the fence.

If you do resort to wing clipping, you should only need to do it once. By the time their flight feathers have grown back, they will have forgotten that they used to be able to fly.

Good luck.

 

[Dondon32]

Thankyou for your reply. I just planned to have them in an area with electric fencing so was hoping they wouldn’t touch it or go over. so there would be no ledges as such.
good info on the wing clipping. Thanks for the luck I may need it