Free Ranging

After the hawks ate 4 of my chickens earlier in the year we moved them to a covered dog kennel where I kept my two turkeys, Bob and Tom. They where crowded since the shelter was inside the kennel with them. So I decided to tear down the old chicken fence, move the coop around and build a portable type covered fence. This way I could still enjoy watching my birds strut around out my kitchen window. It would be easy to move since birds can pick an area clean of plant life in as little as one day, and it would still be covered to keep out the hawks and to keep the turkeys from flying off. Best of all I could expand it easily. Above is the new design. I like it and it was working well until this morning. As I stumbled down to the coop to feed in the dark this morning at 6:20 am. I noticed one of my turkeys loose. With further investigation with the flash light I found the other turkey loose. I also found the huge hole where they had pulled the poultry netting loose. Here I am trying to herd them back in the pen by myself in the dark. To say the least it did not go well. I had to get ready for work so I left them to free range till I could get home around 1pm and devise a plan. God love his soul my husband went out after I had left and the sun had come up. He took our 8 year old daughter, who by the way has become an expert bird herder, to help him. Between the two of them they got the turkeys in and repaired the fence. They called me at work to give me the good news. Now wondering if my coop plans are going to hold up long term or if it's back to the drawing board. Only time will tell.