Raising Wild turkeys from Hatchery

[JoeS500]

Hello, I am new to the website.
I have 20 eastern wild turkey poults that I bought from an online hatchery. The poults are currently 2 weeks old. I have a few questions (I've never raised birds before)
-Are my turkeys actually "wild turkeys"?
-Can I let them free range without fear of fox/raccoon eating them?
- Since there is no mother or Hen will my turkeys be smart enough to roost in trees?
-Do they have wild turkey instincts or are they basically a tame bird?

Thank you, any advice would be great
-Joe

 

[wohneli]

I want to hear this answer - bump!

 

[chseeads]

I've never raised any wild ones, but I would almost be afraid that if they free ranged they'd just go off and not come back at all.

I am sure they would roost in trees. Even the domestic breeds will generally do that.

 

[Struttn1]

The easterns I bought from a hatchery a few years ago acted much more like bronze turkeys than true wild birds.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

They aren't true wilds.

Steve in NC

 

[walkswithdog]

They aren't true wilds. They come from commercially reared birds with the wild genes supposedly unaltered but I doubt it.

No they're NOT safe from foxes any more than chickens are.

Likely they will roost in trees, my Bourbon Reds like to.

No they really possess no wild turkey instincts, just turkey ones. Some are wilder and flightier than others.

Since you raised them they're as tame as you make them and safer for being willing to come to you.

Some free ranged birds will survive predators - some won't. I lost two of three adult turkeys last year to a fox. My male was smart enough NOT to range far enough to get caught. He was also tamer than the girls. The girls died.

Tame enough to come to you and take up residence in a coop or pen or shelter at night is what keeps birds alive.

Free ranged and kept totally outside the odds against them increase. What you will hopefully end up with is a savvy flock but you'll lose a LOT of birds while they're learning.

I decided to provide night shelter with a door that shuts. Between coons and the fox, they need the help. They're good about yelling when they see hawks now, sending all the chickens and chicks into hiding.

I'm hoping my adult Tom can teach all the new birds his smarts. My two adult hens to replace the others were pets and free range they're just not good at yet.

If you buy from a hatchery - it ain't wild.

Genetics don't teach free range behaviors - the parents do.

If you raise it - it's as tame as you make it.

Free Range includes free to make mistakes that cost them their lives. I still free range mine because they're happier that way but I've asked them to pen up at night because I like increasing the odds of survival.

 

[tbone]

do you live in a wooded area if so the owls will get them at night.i fed a few of mine to owls before i got the hint it took me setting up a trail camera over a carcass to find out what it was..if they are"wild" they will survive the woods better but will most likely wonder off. the best scenario is a more open setting as they will just hang around a barn lot and roam around like chickens. i have always had to cage mine full time to keep them alive but a freind who lives down the road in a more open area lets his free range for years and the only time he had a problem was nesting season as the hen would get eaten while on their nest...

 

[tbone]

Quote:
i will agree hatchery birds are for the most part not wild..

however i will disagree about genetics as i have personally seen wild eggs rescued from a hay field after the mother was hit with a haybine that were incubated and the chicks released at approx 3 months old and those chicks with no parents went on to survive and make a huntable population of turkey in a wood lot that was not huntable prior to that.

 

[walkswithdog]

I could rear and release a group of these BRs with the same success rate, except for that sticky part about it being wildly illegal.

If you raise them properly from free ranging adults I wouldn't be surprised that a group could establish a breeding population in a wild environment from several different heritage breeds. Especially the smaller breeds.

At which point it's not genetics but rearing or conditioning and the ability to fly enough to evade predators.

I've known plenty of people who's tame turkeys opted for a wild life and had to be hunted down and killed to maintain the local genetic population of wild turkeys.

They're out there, doing the same daily thing with the wild flock but they have to die to preserve the genetics of the truly wild ones.

Happens so often there are laws about it being illegal to have yours get out and into the wild. And fines and fees and all kinds of ugly about it.

They're all turkeys, most that are not obscene in size and bred commercially til there's no brain and no immune system and no instincts could with little prodding go "wild" and be successful. Which is why there are laws against it.

 

[hambone84]

It was my understanding that all species of turkeys, Bronze, BR's, and others came from the "Wild Turkey?" Wild turkeys have instincts in them when they are born to be wary like all wild turkeys and have a sense of what is a predator and what isnt! The mother doesnt show the birds what a owl is and that it would eat them! Baby wild turkeys also know the entire turkey vocabulary by instinct and at a couple weeks old are capable of communicating most of it...If someone stole eggs from a nest or poults and later breeded them while they were in a barn, pen , ect... There offspring would have the same genetics and instincts right? So would those birds be wild if they were turned loose or would they be tame? Just curious??