Turkey housing for cold climates?

Date sort Score sort
Meesh

Meesh

Songster
11 Years
Feb 12, 2008
261
2
139
Rocky Mountains
Hi,

I ordered a few BR turkey poults and need to build them a coop. What type of housing do they need for overwintering in cold climates?

The wild turkeys and quail hang around all winter just a half mile south of my house, so I wasn't sure if turkeys will need an enclosed coop or if they can roost in a three sided shed (with a wire front to keep predators out). If so, I could convert one of my existing run-in sheds.

Thanks!
Michelle
 
Try to give them somewhere with draft protection. I'm in North Dakota, I usually put them in with the chickens for the winter so that I only need to have one water heater.
 
Thanks Frosty.

Do you heat your chicken house? Any idea how many sq. feet per bird you end up with?

I am not sure if turkeys will fit in the henhouse (based on # of birds). Converting the unused run-in shed would give me a lot more room.

Cheers,
Michelle
 
I don't heat any of the buildings, but the hen house is insulated. My hen house is something like 10' x 20', there is a 12' x 12' outdoor run attached that they can access 24/7. I had about 40 hens and 4 turkeys in there. It was a little more crowded than I liked, but they all had water available all winter.
 
My Turkeys just sleep on the fence outside(I can't get them in the coop, they just wont go).

They don't care how cold it is, -40 and they still sit out there........

I guess if the wild turkeys can do it so can they.
 
My wild turkeys just have 4ft roosts in there flight pens, game comission dont req pens for wilds.

Have wilds for almost 5 years they do just great in the winter..however ours all have heated waters which they seem to really like the warm water in winter..

Charlie
 
Thanks - sounds like I better just put a wire front on it for summer and see if they will go in at night. No sense in doing a lot of work to fix them up an insulated building if they won't go in!

Cheers,
Michelle
 
3 sided shelter to get them out of the wind and wet. Fence that is predator proof.

Mine mostly sleep in the trees all winter. I could chase them in before they roost. Did it for 2 years but finally gave up.
Some do go into a tarped pen to roost. One goes into the chicken coop.
 
I'm in South Dakota, and I originally had my pair in with my laying hens for winter, until I caught my Tom crushing a laying hen, in an attend to mount the poor girl!

So I moved the turkeys to a pallet shed that was wrapped in plastic sheeting n a plywood sheet was used as a roof. They had the orchard to stroll in all winter n I herded them back each night n shut them in. In bad weather I just didn't let them out. They seemed to like that shelter better then being in the hen house n enclosed aviary run.
 
Mine won't go in a coop but they like their elevated house for laying eggs or severe weather on occasion. Usually they just sit on their perches even in storms. We get -10 regularly in the winter.












 

Similar threads

H
    • Like
Thinking about getting turkey and have some questions
Replies
3
Views
2K
R2elk
R2elk
P
Putting Turkey Poults outside…
2
Replies
17
Views
3K
PetMomKathy
PetMomKathy
HeritageFan
    • Like
Separating breeders - turkeys - small farm
2
Replies
18
Views
3K
vawolfmom
V
Beccatrix
Chicken/Turkey Housing
Replies
3
Views
1K
R2elk
R2elk
FloorCandy
Housing turkeys
Replies
1
Views
935
oldhenlikesdogs
oldhenlikesdogs

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom