[JoePa]

Like chickens - can you let turkeys free range - will they come back to the coop when it starts getting dark? - also where can you buy small turkeys? - thanks -

 

[crazyfarm]

My turkeys always went back to the coop at night. I bought my heritage breed turkeys from a breeder I found through 4-H.

 

[bergere]

I have some Royal Palms... though I don't think they are pure bred. Anyway... they are all hens and running about 10 maybe 12lbs.

They live with the chickens and go in with them at night.

Are you looking for something like the Beltsville Whites? Think those are one of the smallest out there.

 

[TRAILRIDER]

Beltsville Whites and Midget Whites are great little turkeys. Mine were very friendly and the ones we put on the table were the best we ever had.
Now I have Royal Palms and yes, they are free range like all my birds. If I jus forgot about them they would probably end up roosting in the trees. Which would not be good at my farm! But as soon as I get home from work they flock around me, scolding me for being out late, and letting me know they want to go in their pen. Now the pen door is always open....so why don't they just go in by themselves? I don't know. However they will come when I call them and follow me into their pen at anytime of the day. I am a little concerned what will happen in the winter time when I have to leave for work in the dark and come home after dark. I love seeing the birds out and about, not penned up. They are a pretty sight! Here are a few pics.

 

[JoePa]

I'm just starting to think about turkeys - raised some chickens now I thought it would be nice to try turkeys - at this point I know very little about raising them - so I need to do some reading before I take the plunge - thanks for the responses -

 

[DLMKA]

I have 3 Narrgansett turkeys I got from a friend that hatched some eggs. I started out keeping them in a chicken tractor but the would never go back at night, they preferred roosting on the wooden fence. I got tired of relocating them to the coop after dark especially when they got big enough to defend themselves against me. They sleep on the fence every night now.

I plan on raising 20-30 next summer to be ready to sell for Thanksgiving. I've gone through just over a bag of feed getting these three almost to butcher weight, they are excellent foragers.