turkeys

jap gt

these might interest some of ye.. mallards what age did you release them, did you put out feeders

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/poultry/1519837

kildare.17hmr

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csQq5DXm2XU

mallards

Mine where 7 weeks old when I released them. You need to be careful of the strain of turkey you get. The typical dark broad breasted Christmas turkey looks much the same at that age but couldn't fly the length of itself!
If they are the real deal it would be worth a go I think.

Mallards

Birdnuts

Are we talking Wild Turkeys here

mallards

Yes.

jap gt

Birdnuts wrote: »

Are we talking Wild Turkeys here

mallards had real wild turkeys last year alright and i think it was a great idea, if the birds in the link are real then they a re real wild turkeys, they can fly a fair distance..

mallards how did you find hunting them, were you able to get a dog to point them or did you just flush them out, i heard they will run at the slightest sound of danger

Dusty87

jap gt wrote: »

mallards had real wild turkeys last year alright and i think it was a great idea, if the birds in the link are real then they a re real wild turkeys, they can fly a fair distance..

mallards how did you find hunting them, were you able to get a dog to point them or did you just flush them out, i heard they will run at the slightest sound of danger

you goin give it a shot jap? I meant to but forgot all about it. Can eggs still be got? The poults be handy though ;-)

jap gt

il run it past my local permissions first, we wouldn't want them waking up to wild turkeys around there land without warning, but i think i will try it, il go and look at the man in the links place first and the turkeys and make sure they are wild

mallards

Yes they held for a point and flushed over a hill and made a great driven shot for me. The one beside it went on gliding down the hill like a pheasant on set wings for a quarter of a mile before it landed.

Mallards

Dusty87

Do you know do they stray much?

mallards

I put down just six in the end. Two hens stayed with four fields of where I released them and roosted on that spot the male birds called Tom's up and left and were spotted about a mile away. I think the fox got them though. If I was doing it again I would start out with 15 or 20. They split into males and females during the winter so like partridges don't release them all in one bunch.

Mallards

jap gt

i was thinking of getting five, or maybe if the club will be interested and buy 20-30 and try them out, only thing is you will have a load of fellas after them

if i was getting just 5 would i be better getting all hens and have some hope of keeping them local

mallards

Hard to know Jap. I bought a book called 'The Wild Turkey' which was great for info but it deals with the turkey in it's natural habitat unlike the small fields and rough corners of Ireland. I would want to release them agin to draw conclusions but had enough on my plate this year hatching pheasants. I would say try 5 and see how they go for you. Maybe get the guys to hold off them until the week before Christmas though!

Mallards

jap gt

if they survive until christmas myself and the neighbour will be hot on their tails

Birdnuts

Checking my guide to the "Birds of Europe" there appears to be a self-sustaining population of Wild Turkeys in the South of France. I wonder how the climate/habitat here suits them??

mallards

Germany has a huntable population and New Zealand has a great number of birds. Ireland had a release of birds in Limerick somewhere and some of these were then brought up to Donegal. Don't think they faired to well as we are not overrun with them now!

Mallards

jap gt

its a pity as they would be a great bird to hunt, going to see the birds tomorrow hopefully the will work, would they want to be roosting now mallards or will they pick it up in time, can they fly from an early age ( i must really get a book your head will be wrecked from questions)

4gun

I am picking up a few this evening, they will not be released though I intend to keep them in a pen, but i'd like to see how big they can get, if they're able to fly how good they forage and so on
I post back when I pick them up,

landkeeper

i'd say you'd want to keep quiet about releasing them you're not supposed to release non native species and if you do every lad in the parish will be after them

jap gt

landkeeper wrote: »

i'd say you'd want to keep quiet about releasing them you're not supposed to release non native species and if you do every lad in the parish will be after them

sur they are only free range turkeys, you just have to catch them with a shotgun

kildare.17hmr

jap gt wrote: »

sur they are only free range turkeys, you just have to catch them with a shotgun

:D:D

4gun

picked up four this evening, littlt beggers are well able to fly..:D
I have only ever dealt with the whites so these chaps are all new to me.
first thing they did when I let them into their house was to perch on the roost, one chap tried to fly through the window was well able to hold himself up,
I have no idea as to what sex they are they all look the same, but they seem to be hardy little feckers...spent the whole time chirping away in the back of the car on the journey home(40 minutes)...I think they were planning their escape....:D

jap gt

4gun wrote: »

picked up four this evening, littlt beggers are well able to fly..:D
I have only ever dealt with the whites so these chaps are all new to me.
first thing they did when I let them into their house was to perch on the roost, one chap tried to fly through the window was well able to hold himself up,
I have no idea as to what sex they are they all look the same, but they seem to be hardy little feckers...spent the whole time chirping away in the back of the car on the journey home(40 minutes)...I think they were planning their escape....:D

thats good to know anyway, maybe mallards will know how to sex them, are you planning on breeding from them

4gun

not sure what I'm going to do with them yet, One will have to sampled in a few months time to see how they taste... dont think I could release them as the area is like Beruit come the first of November
I think after a few were hatched out naturally befor you couls start talking abou releasing them, would these guys have the instincts to look after their young once hatched, chp I got them from reckoned that you'll get plenty of eggs from any females

jap gt

did he buy in eggs, has he many left/a good setup

4gun

just found this article, might be useful to any one thinking of aiding and abetting the escape of turkeys


http://www.huntinglife.com/blog/detail/the-reintroduction-of-the-wild-turkey-in-new-jersey-by-beka-garris





this is why other attempts failed..

mallards

4gun wrote: »

would these guys have the instincts to look after their young once hatched,

They will do as good as any released pheasant apparently

jap gt wrote: »

maybe mallards will know how to sex them

Check for a snood! It's that fleshy knob on the top of their beaks. The one's with bigger snoods will be male.

jap gt wrote: »

would they want to be roosting now mallards or will they pick it up in time, can they fly from an early age

Mine roosted nearly as soon as they hatched. As their wings develop the higher up they will roost.

Mallards