Every night.

So, I have a new flock of birds.

Well, two flocks actually. In one tractor are all of the Midget White turkeys. In the other one are the Delawares and Black Jersey Giant chickens. They, along with the roosters now off in the Bachelor Pad, were all part of the same order from Sandhill, brooded together, and shared the same tractor until space got tight.

When the fifth tractor was ready I divvied them up by species - turkeys in one, chickens in the other - and didn't let anyone out for over a month until I was confident they were too big to be hawk bait and they had reprogrammed their little birdy brains as to where 'home' was..

So every night when it comes time to go to roost and close up I have to gather up the chickens out of the turkey tractor to put them back into their own. Then I have to herd all of the turkeys into their tractor. They all know they are going into the tractor, I know they are going into the tractor, but we have to play the game first. Shoo them around and around the outside of their tractor, the chicken's tractor, or likely both, until one by one they're all inside. And if I wasn't too slow getting the last one in none of the ones already inside will come out to join the game again. Every. Single. Night.

Now most of the chickens have given it up and will go back to their tractor right off leaving only a couple of die hards to get it wrong. But not those turkeys. Every night it's "come chase us!"

Those turkeys have grown on me. I like listening to them. But they are taking a loonngg time to figure out going in for the night. I had decided the two toms with the black feathers were going to be the ones getting dinner invites, but now I think I may do it on the basis of who is the last to go in!

.....Alan.

[Curtis B]

I'm gonna say give up. I fought for a whole year before they got me trained to just let them be. Someone else may have an idea, but I think I tried everything. They follow me in when I feed at night, and fly right back out or roost on top.

[Cyngbaeld]

I keep saying I'm going to make a trap door for the turks and guin-hens so they can go in, but not out in the evenings.

[Wisconsin Ann]

I remember that dance... Every single night, as you say. First they run around the other coop. Then they fly on TOP of the other coop. I swoosh them down. Then they start walking sllllloooooowwwwwly toward their hoop coop. A few go in. Then someone flies up on top of the hoop. Then another. and another. Pretty soon they're either up on top, or have flown/jumped off into the growout pen next door..and I have to go get them out of there.

A lot of nights, blowing snow, or so dark I couldn't see them anymore...I just let them roost on top of the coop. If they were still on the ground when it got dark, I could put a light inside the coop and they'd go inside easily.

And then some nights, they'd all be standing in front of the coop and would just hustle inside happily.

I loved my turkeys but sometimes......

[FrontPorch]

Originally Posted by A.T. Hagan

But they are taking a loonngg time to figure out going in for the night. I had decided the two toms with the black feathers were going to be the ones getting dinner invites, but now I think I may do it on the basis of who is the last to go in!

.....Alan.

LOL

When I was a kid we had a Tom that would never go in. He even stayed outside during an ice storm. Froze himself to the ground with one eye frozen open. Had to dig him up and bring him inside to thaw.

I'm thinking you might be waiting awhile for them to learn to go in.

[mooman]

My turkeys will also not willingly go in the coop at night. Turkeys also don't seem to share chickens fondness for scratch. BUT they LOVE dogfood. Took them longer to discover that they like dogfood, but now that they have, they see that bright red cup and know exactly whats in it. I guess it depends on the set up, but i just toss that dogfood in and they follow just as enthusiastically as any chicken going after scratch.

As an aside: Do anyone elses turkeys act like teen drivers with road rage? First they run up behind you and tailgate. Then they nearly sideswipe you as they pass you (on the right no less). Then they cut you off and hit the brakes....crash rear end collision with a turkey butt.

[chickenista]

We waited a bit too long to move the turkeys from the potting shed to the big barn.
It took them a while to figure out to go inside. It was the small barn door, the big inside of the barn adn the pen door.. it was all too much.
But they have finally gotten it!
That and we let them be good and hungry before we let them in and we don't wait until bedtime. They go in around 3:30 or 4. It goes easier that way.
And then we let the layers out. They fight if we let them out at the same time..silly fowl.

[mooman]

Yeah, my chickens and turkeys don't fight once spread out and free ranging, but there is always some friction right around the pens if they are let out at the same time.

I have also noticed that turkeys are "ready for bed" a couple hours before chickens. If I let it go beyond 5-6pm they are putting themselves to bed.......on the front porch.