Escape! almost fatal

This morning I found 2 turkeys had escaped from the new hoop house. One was running around trying to get back in, apparently he had just snuck out. But the other, he was laying in the wet grass barely breathing, too weak to lift his head. I picked up the weak one and while holding him chased the other through the door. The weak turkey was very very cold. his little feet felt like ice. So,  I held him under the heat lamp for maybe 30 minutes, slowly moving him further away as he warmed up. At the end of that time he was at least able to look around and sit up by himself. I placed him under the lamp in the shavings and watched from outside the hoiuse for a few minutes to make sure the other birds didnt attack him. (Birds tend to quickly and niscously attack any sick among themselves). Fortunately the others seems much more interested in baking in the sunshine and eating grass or feed.

I chekced on them again in a couple hours and by then it was impossibble to tell which one it was! all 28 turkeys were running around and happily exploring the new space.

That was a close one!

My best guess is that the little turkeys were able to escape through the large opening chicken wire I used on the hoop house first. Since we covered the lower foot or so with small opening chicken wire I thought things were safe, but apparently the birds would fly or jump inside to reach the thick wire of the cattle panel above the small wire piece and walk out. Once outside they had nothing to jump on to get back in and were then trapped outside.  I extended the small wire to a full 3 feet hoping to prevent this.

Sometimes these animals just dont know whats best for them!