Author Topic: What do turkeys need? (Read 3769 times)

Buffy the eggs layer · « **on:** June 06, 2011, 08:22:00 am »

Hi,

I am toying with the idea of buying a couple of turkey chicks off heat to feed up for Christmas and wanted to know what accomadation they need. Can they cope with a ramped pop hole or would they need ground access? If I let them free range will they need Turkey proof parameter fencing or will they just stay on my property like my hens do? How do I get them dispatched? Will they go home to roost at dusk or will they just peach anywhere? Anything else I need to concider?

Buffy

shetlandpaul · « **Reply #1 on:** June 06, 2011, 08:36:57 am »

you will need a secure run when they get to around 6 weeks or you could lose them to birds. they need to have heat for that first six weeks. much softer than chicks. i would then extend there protected run until you feel that they are strong enought to get away from preditors. then allow them to free range. a shed would be better than a adapted chicken coop. i would just leave the door open. a few perches at diffrent hights will help but depending on the breed they may not use them. they can wander. we had a group that were always going for a walk but the others always stayed close to the croft.

manian · « **Reply #2 on:** June 06, 2011, 08:52:08 am »

hi
they may well wander off, our breeding team (1 stag and 5 hens) perch on the fench near the shed that they sleep.
we have 2 turkey poults (3 weeks old)..just to stay... boy can they jump high, so be aware of fencing...... they are now 6 inches high and can jump about 2 1/2 to 3 feet.
for the older ones we use a shed and have perches for them (about 1 ft off the ground) again these can get over 5 ft fence (even the stag!!)

but we have them clipped. ;Dwhere we picked them up he had an 8 ft fence that they got out from!!!!

they are very commical when young - even more than chickens

The Chicken Lady · « **Reply #3 on:** June 06, 2011, 09:16:00 am »

I have a stag and 3 hens. The youngest one takes herself off to lay her eggs away from the others. They live in a childs wendy house. They stay near the chickens and know when it is treat time in the afternoon. I have been lucky with mine they never wander and they could if they wanted to. At night my husband goes to shut them up. The hens go to their house when they see him and the stag follows.

Buffy the eggs layer · « **Reply #4 on:** June 06, 2011, 09:18:38 am »

Humm...,

I was thinking of housing them in a brick outbuilding and fitting perches. I was going to fit a ramp up to a suitably sized access hole in the wall of the building but I'm not sure if they would get the hang of it. My place has post and rail fencing along one side which the hens can simply walk under but never do. I leave them out all day when I'm at work but I dont think I could do that with the turkeys. I have a coop made from a shed with a large pophole and a large walk in run attached with a roof. I could move the hens into the other coops and put the turkeys in there but they would only get to play out occasionally when I was available to supervise.

Perhaps I should just buy a freshly prepaired bird from a local breeder and stick with breeding rare breed poultry.

Buffy

The Chicken Lady · « **Reply #5 on:** June 06, 2011, 09:23:56 am »

Can you not construct some sought of a run around the building and leave the door open?

Buffy the eggs layer · « **Reply #6 on:** June 06, 2011, 09:53:47 am »

Thats a good idea but the door opens out on to the drive \ track that goes through the farm so we wouldnt be able to access our other buildings. I would really prefer them to free range but it sounds like they may just wander off if I dont pen them in.

Buffy

wellywearer · « **Reply #7 on:** June 06, 2011, 04:24:36 pm »

I've following this post with interest, cos I'd like to get turkeys too....I was hoping to see a post that might convince me that I could make it work - I've got the same concerns that Turkeys might just wander off/not come in at night. The hens stay in their field and go in at dusk ready to be shut in but I keep reading about turkeys roosting in trees etc and jumping fences....If I had to construct a run big enough not to feel bad at confining them then I think it might just be too expensive! (got to try to be realistic about how much the finished product (roast turkey) is going to cost!!) So if there is anyone out there with a cunning plan, please can you share it with us would be turkey keepers?

Thanks

The Chicken Lady · « **Reply #8 on:** June 06, 2011, 04:48:36 pm »

My turkeys do not wander off. I think if you were to limit them with a small pen until they get to know where they live and where the food is they should be OK especially if there are hens and ducks about they seem to stay around them. If they are on their own they might wander because there is no interest for them. Mine go in at night as soon as my husband goes out to shut them up. Make sure the hens go in first and then the stag will follow.

shetlandpaul · « **Reply #9 on:** June 06, 2011, 04:54:30 pm »

never had a problem with them not going in. even if they wander they will stay local. and you just guide them home. if your just keeping a few they are less likely to go to far.

wellywearer · « **Reply #10 on:** June 07, 2011, 09:18:56 am »

Thanks, do you clip their wings? I have never done this with chickens, even though some of them choose to go over a high gate into the veg garden - swear they are psychic and know when there is digging going on!

The Chicken Lady · « **Reply #11 on:** June 07, 2011, 11:22:49 am »

I don't clip mine. They are Norfolk Bronze - stag and Lavender - hens. The hens wear leather sadles from March - September!

Buffy the eggs layer · « **Reply #12 on:** June 07, 2011, 05:43:35 pm »

My worry is that I'm not about during the day so if they do decide to wander off they could end up anywhere by the time I get home. Also come the end of October my hens are pened in through the week as I cant get home from work till well after sun set and an open coop would leave them vunerable to foxes. The turkeys would need to be pened in from then too which means building a extra large pen!

Having added up what it would cost me to build the pen, its cheaper to buy a freerange oven ready bird from a local producer. It also stops me from getting too fond of the turkey to eat it

Buffy

shetlandpaul · « **Reply #13 on:** June 07, 2011, 07:50:07 pm »

Quote from: wellywearer on June 07, 2011, 09:18:56 am

Thanks, do you clip their wings? I have never done this with chickens, even though some of them choose to go over a high gate into the veg garden - swear they are psychic and know when there is digging going on!

no. mainly because even with clipprd wings they can clear high fencing. they are not great fliers so no need realy. if you have a veg garden you will lose it to the turkeys.