Turkeys roosting in our tree...

[Coops Dad]

My wife called this evening with panic in her voice to tell me that half our turkeys flew up into the big sycamore next to our house and kept hopping higher and higher (it's a big old tree) and won't come down. She said they're up about 12-15 feet and spread out on two different branches but still kind of close. The other half of the turkeys are calling up to them but can't jump or fly high enough. I have 4 BR's and 5 BBB's. I asked if there were 5 on the ground and she said no; 4 on the ground and one in the coop.

So my 3+ month old BR's decided to try a traditional roost. I asked my wife to get my son to help her herd the 4 grounded BBB'S into the coop with their good sibling.

I like that they're doing their turkey thing but worry a bit because we have a couple of Great Horned Owls around. Should I clip their wings and make sure they overnight in their shelter or should I leave them to their turkey-ness?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I always clip and round mine up. It all depends on how you feel about losing them.

 

[Duckbreeder2020]

My wife called this evening with panic in her voice to tell me that half our turkeys flew up into the big sycamore next to our house and kept hopping higher and higher (it's a big old tree) and won't come down. She said they're up about 12-15 feet and spread out on two different branches but still kind of close. The other half of the turkeys are calling up to them but can't jump or fly high enough. I have 4 BR's and 5 BBB's. I asked if there were 5 on the ground and she said no; 4 on the ground and one in the coop.

So my 3+ month old BR's decided to try a traditional roost. I asked my wife to get my son to help her herd the 4 grounded BBB'S into the coop with their good sibling.

I like that they're doing their turkey thing but worry a bit because we have a couple of Great Horned Owls around. Should I clip their wings and make sure they overnight in their shelter or should I leave them to their turkey-ness?

I would clip there wings so they can’t fly up there

 

[iwltfum]

I would just let them be in the tree if they want to. I raise mine in open shelters in my orchard. Sometimes they roost in the trees, mostly they just sleep out on the grass. Once they are a little bigger than a chicken, I dont worry too much about aerial predators - which we have plenty of large owls, eagles, and hawks. I have a different management style than most though.

 

[Molpet]

I lost a bunch of poults to great horn owls. Last ones were hatched in Aug and owl got the last one in April.
I keep 10 ft length of 3/4" PVC pipe around to knock them out of the trees. First 3 yrs I didn't loose any, then owls and coons found them. Now I can't train them to stay down
Clip one wing.

 

[SarahGfa]

I would just let them be in the tree if they want to. I raise mine in open shelters in my orchard. Sometimes they roost in the trees, mostly they just sleep out on the grass. Once they are a little bigger than a chicken, I dont worry too much about aerial predators - which we have plenty of large owls, eagles, and hawks. I have a different management style than most though.

Do you lose any to aerial predators? It looks like you have white birds and it seems like predators always get the white ones first.

 

[iwltfum]

Do you lose any to aerial predators? It looks like you have white birds and it seems like predators always get the white ones first.

I have lost more small poults to ravens than any other predatory bird but not often. I have a flock of over 100 completely free-range chickens as well so it seems the predators go for them first, if at all. During turkey season, I have had raccoons get into the turkey paddocks to eat the apples in the apple trees (I always raise the turkeys in my orchard), but have never had a problem with the coons predating the turkeys either. I do deal with predation with my birds on occasion (mostly owl and mink), but I see it as part of how I raise them. If there is an on-going pattern of predation, I will absolutely take action, but one kill in a blue moon is about standard for me, I just bury the bird in the compost pile. Once the turkeys get big, they don't seem to get picked off. I do not like bbw's personally, I just don't have the extra time or space to raise anything else the way my summer schedule is set up. 16 weeks is a pretty tempting time frame and their feed conversion is economical

 

[SarahGfa]

I have a flock of over 100 completely free-range chickens as well so it seems the predators go for them first, if at all.

That happens here too. I have tender young poults running around but the predators still go for the adult chickens. I guess they prefer the taste of chicken ?