Jonny Anvil

Your blasted turkeys got out last night! LOL! I went out after dark to check on them for the millionth time and there they were, roosted on the top of the fences. I had NO idea how they got up there with the wire over the run. I caught them, put them back, and watched. They would fly up and hit the wire and grab it then swing themselves up on too it and crawl over the wire to the top of the posts. When I first walked over to check on them I just laughed and yelled to hubby, we have a problem. They are doing great though. But they do fly LOTS more then mine. But mine have always seen the wire up top so they never tested it. Atleast they were up high!

Glad you are seeing the humerous side of this!! What type of turkeys did you bring home?

LOL.... I can just picture your description of their escape attempts.
The girls are full of beans usually, and the boys seem laid back for the most part, but they have their moments. It always seems in the morning when I let them out, which is not every morning, they come out and fly about like a bunch of knuckle heads......then settle in and begin calling for their food.

The parent stock I had were flighty, almost every night I was pulling them down and putting them in their cages, actually all my turkeys were terrible for this. I have eliminated the ability for them to cause any havoc, I started to lock them up every night an hour before dark, otherwise they would be up on top of their pens or the fence or chicken coop, I have gotten into the routine of putting them away when they are out, that I forget the fun they like to have come dusk.

Hopefully they will settle in and become less adventurous, and are going to behave for you... Perhaps they were just getting a better vantage point of their new home? LOL

I can see them wanting to get up high as they can, as the roost in the enclosure they were raised in is about 6 feet off the ground. Total height of their pen is a tad over 8 feet.

With the parent stock in fall last year, they would jump up on one fence then jump up onto another then leap for dear life to get onto our 8 foot tall pheasant pens, they would cling on wings a flapping just a hollering and climb up and then pull themselves over the top... They even taught one of my BR rooster, paleface their sneaky tactics.
Sometimes they would try to roost on our camper as well.

On top of the pheasant pens... Silly Birds.

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You gotta appreciate their agility though! I had Dominiques last year that would roost way up in the tops of the trees, I couldn't believe how high they could fly...they didn't know chickens aren't supposed to fly! Guess it keeps them safe from ground predators !

Smokey, I came home with a bronze pair and a bourbon hen. So, I am hoping for chicks this coming year.

Jonny, yes, it was comical. Acctually the tom went farther then either hen. They both just went right up on their own pen. I kept hearing alot of squawking from my laying hens and I figured they were just having fun. Well, the tom had gotten on top of their house. That is a good 10 ft high. I thought I had totally fixed it with more wire this morning. Neither hen got out, but that tom got out again and I found him roosting in a tree out in the pasture which is on the other end of the quarter section. He had fun though. I followed his tracks and he explored the whole way there. He was content to be carried back to the coop. Tomorrow, I add chicken wire to the top!

pfarms wrote:Smokey, I came home with a bronze pair and a bourbon hen. So, I am hoping for chicks this coming year.

Jonny, yes, it was comical. Acctually the tom went farther then either hen. They both just went right up on their own pen. I kept hearing alot of squawking from my laying hens and I figured they were just having fun. Well, the tom had gotten on top of their house. That is a good 10 ft high. I thought I had totally fixed it with more wire this morning. Neither hen got out, but that tom got out again and I found him roosting in a tree out in the pasture which is on the other end of the quarter section. He had fun though. I followed his tracks and he explored the whole way there. He was content to be carried back to the coop. Tomorrow, I add chicken wire to the top!

OMG!

I let them out here to Run about and forage, but they never have gone very far at all. They usually stick together as a group.
Crazy bird. At least they are healthy and full of life.

Have they caused anymore grief yet?

Nope, I got some fencing over the wire for a while. I leave soon for my trip and need them to stay put to learn where home is while I am gone. But they cant get out now. Once they figure out where to come back to at night (by the time I am home) they can go and play all they want. That bronze hen, she is really friendly. She comes up and wants to eat things out of my hands. Doesnt like to wait til it is in the feeders. No more trouble at all. Just cute little things that turkeys do, without flying all over the place.