will turkeys freerange and return to coupe?

[Olive Hill]

Mine return to the same tree branch every night. Does that count?

Quote:
No teaching necessary. It's instinctual. Walk behind them with one extended on each side and you can guide them wherever you want. Just walk slow, they can run fast if you pressure them too much. Just like with geese, keep it calm, low energy and slow and your work is much easier.

 

[Cottage Rose]

Quote:
No teaching necessary. It's instinctual. Walk behind them with one extended on each side and you can guide them wherever you want. Just walk slow, they can run fast if you pressure them too much. Just like with geese, keep it calm, low energy and slow and your work is much easier.

Thats good to know...thanks!

 

[PatS]

Hmmm, I guess my turkeys are naughtier than most. They really want to roost on the porch railing, and every night we herd them into their pen. They LOVE the porch. While they make their rounds of the entire property, I'd have to say they spend a couple of hours a day talking, sunning, looking at us through the window, or just hanging out. If they could be trained not to poop, we'd let them sleep there, too. You don't dare leave the house, even for a minute, without closing the door behind you, 'cause those turkeys sneak right in.

 

[HoglundH]

My Bronze turkey jakes returned every evening. Feed only at the end of the day.

Harold

 

[kiwi-chookn]

oh well..........................I let them out this morning and no sign of them now.
We have a little storm happening here in NZ,so they may have sought shelter for the proverbial storm.
How can I get them back?
Will they return when thirsty or hngry.
man im bummin out

 

[Parrotchick]

I worried about mine the first night I couldn't find one at evening head count. I was up at dawn with a turkey call ready to look for her. but she was already standing outside the pen waiting for me to let the others out.

You might have to do the gentle herding at first, but they should {mostly} go there at night. Every so often one of my hens will sleep on top of the pen (I let her stay as it's too hard to get her off) or try to in her favorite nesting spot by the neighbor's cellar door (she gets carried home). But the next night they'll be back in their usual home spot.

Sometimes a hen will try to sneak into the chicken coop. It's really funny to watch them try to blend in, like I'm not going to notice-kinda like Jack Lemmon and Malter Matthau in "Some Like it Hot." They really think they'll get away with it:

I always worry about my animals getting away but they always seem to come back. My Muscovy ducks have taken to expanding the range of their adventures but they come back to their pen throughout the day-they know where the easy food and water is. But is also depends how comfortable you are with your neighborhood. Will the neighbors get upset with visiting turkeys? Will someone try to shoot them? One night my Tom spend the night who knew where. A couple days later when I went to get some logs from the wood pile, I found out where he had been. Yuck! Of all spots-he must have pooped on every single log that was on the top! Well I'm glad at least he didn't go into the barn and spend the night on the workbench!

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
Any update? Did they return? So sorry to hear they didn't return last night.

 

[kiwi-chookn]

no,they have slid off the grid so to say.
i cant see them anywhere,heard no shots lastnight so heres hoping.
I doubt ill see them again,there goes another 2 xmas dinners

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
Awwwww no. I'm so sorry to hear that. I feel bad. I guess we should have asked more questions about your turkeys as far as how long have you had them, type of pen, etc., etc., etc. I feel bad now that I said that mine return home. Maybe it wasn't time for you to release them. I'm so so sorry.

If I were there, I would rush over to help you find them.

 

[kiwi-chookn]

thanks for that.
no bodys fault,silly birds they are.
Nevermind,looks like i just bought someone 2 turkey dinners if they make it to next year.