Turkeys

[colowyo0809]

hi Buster!

Heya, OFG. How's it goin'?

Or need I axe?

i had just got done reading my thread, where someone had mentioned war axes and it took me a minute to understand this

 

[Rebecka]

Thanks for the info guys!

(this is a lesson to be learned by humanity, when its too much bother to indulge in procreation type activities, its time to lay off the twinkies and hops!)

Lay off the hops!!!?? But.. but .. but.. how will I not die of thirst?? Besides, those beer goggles make for a very happy marriage!

Seriously..I can free range the turkeys ? We have Royal Palms (adults), some sort of mixed wild breed of red ( young) and two of the sweetest little chicks that I think might be BR. We just put the Palms in an enclosure of their own because they were too rough on my chickens. Can I just let them out ? They pace all day long at the door. I know the want out, but I figured they just wanted back in to be mean to my chickens.

 

[colowyo0809]

Thanks for the info guys!

(this is a lesson to be learned by humanity, when its too much bother to indulge in procreation type activities, its time to lay off the twinkies and hops!)

Lay off the hops!!!?? But.. but .. but.. how will I not die of thirst?? Besides, those beer goggles make for a very happy marriage!

Seriously..I can free range the turkeys ? We have Royal Palms (adults), some sort of mixed wild breed of red ( young) and two of the sweetest little chicks that I think might be BR. We just put the Palms in an enclosure of their own because they were too rough on my chickens. Can I just let them out ? They pace all day long at the door. I know the want out, but I figured they just wanted back in to be mean to my chickens.

lol, goggles.

in theory, and if you trust the people who have posted here, yes you can let them range free. Stands to reason after all, they haven't been domesticated all that long (not that they are really domesticated now, but still) so they should still forage just fine. all but the bbw anyways, those are the next best thing to hopeless.

 

[BarredBuff]

If I free range a trio of turkeys, will they take up with the wild turkeys?

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

If I free range a trio of turkeys, will they take up with the wild turkeys?

nope. one of the 3 is a tom, right? i think they are pretty territorial. we came home one day to a buncha wild turkeys on one side of the fence, and ours (BR's) all lined up on the other side. they were all screaming and displaying. it was awesome!

that being said, we had a wild hen that wanted to join our group. i think her group was killed. she stayed around for a while then didnt come around anymore. but i keep hearing a hen in the woods so maybe she has some Wild Bourbon Reds out there!

if you DONT have a tom i'd be nervous that your hens would go with the wild tom.

 

[BarredBuff]

If I free range a trio of turkeys, will they take up with the wild turkeys?

nope. one of the 3 is a tom, right? i think they are pretty territorial. we came home one day to a buncha wild turkeys on one side of the fence, and ours (BR's) all lined up on the other side. they were all screaming and displaying. it was awesome!

that being said, we had a wild hen that wanted to join our group. i think her group was killed. she stayed around for a while then didnt come around anymore. but i keep hearing a hen in the woods so maybe she has some Wild Bourbon Reds out there!

if you DONT have a tom i'd be nervous that your hens would go with the wild tom.

I would have a tom. I d like emm because I think turkeys are beautiful and because alll that offspring for meat.

 

[ALANB.]

"ANYONE" ; know where I can buy MIDGET-WHITE , hatching egg's ? (besides SandsPoultry) They are extremely hard to find . POST here and E-mail me please . THANKYOU .......... ALANB.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

golly i was gonna say Sands.. Turkey Steve has it all. but.. please stand by.....

dang.

well i was trying to find a grower in Penn.. i saw an article about him a couple years ago in mother earth news.

did you have any luck asking over on BYC?

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

I have always allowed my BBW to free range and while they are not as good at it they do forage, and they keep the grasshopper population at nil on my land. We go to the neighbors and can't sit on the deck for the hoppers all over you.

I had BBB one year and for this place they range too well. Like across the road, up the hydro line, out of sight! They always came back, and I never lost any, but 65 turkeys crossing the road or approaching hikers out on crown land (because they were really friendly) was just not cool. I got them into the freezer before the start of hunting season or they would not have been in my freezer I'm sure.

So really it depends on your situation, the BBW raised in a brooder then moved to an expandable outside pen and let out late in the day once they are a few pounds do learn to range well. Just at first I let them out late so that they want back in to roost before they get too far, then the habit is established. The BBB roosted where ever they wanted regardless. They will make up their own minds, and you might not like it. My tractor was forever covered in poop when I had them.