Will a 4' field fence keep my Bourbon Reds in?

[Barred Rock Man]

I have 5-acres of pasture fenced with 4' field fencing. I know they can't go through, but can they go over? My tom and hen are a year old and roughly 20lbs and 10-15lbs. Thanks for any information.

 

[frank53061]

I have read a lot of blogs and from what I have seen the older heaver birds don't tend to do much flying.
I know the younger ones do the Bourbon Reds that I have with a 8 foot fence and I have to keep there wings clipped and that is also an option for you to do.
I clip one wing and that throws them off when they try to fly they are still able to fly 4 feet.

Turkeys are crafty if they want to do something they will figure it out.
My Turkeys would walk to the top of the 2nd level ramp to there coop and fly 3 feet to the top of the door and then another 3 feet to the roof of there coop then to a near by tree limb 9 feet from the ground then roost in the tree I have sense cut that limb off LOL.

 

[MCI]

Will a four feet fence keep them in? Maybe.

Can they fly over it? Yes. All of the standard varieties of turkeys can fly well.

Even though they can fly over the fence doesn't mean they will. Mine never show interest of getting to the other side of the fence. The hens roost about twenty feet up in a tree and the toms roost below on an old fence. On occasion one will come down on the wrong side of the fence and spend the rest of the day trying to get back in.

 

[Oregon Blues]

It might keep them in if you clip one wing. It won't keep out any predator of any type.

 

[1MrsMagoo]

It doesn't keep my Beltsvilles from going where they want and they all have one wing clipped. Although, even though they can fly to the top of the fence, only half of them are interested in leaving their field right now. The half that stays in spends their day running the fence-line panicking because they can't get to the rest of their flock.

 

[columbiacritter]

Mine clear an 8 ft fence without much effort.