My turkey coop is coming along

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I use sand and scoop the droppings daily, mine don't spend much time inside the coop, the weather has to be pretty bad to drive a turkey inside so mine mostly roost at night in it and some sleep outside on a log perch.

 

[Gorman Farm]

We plan on having the grazing area covered like the one we have for the chickens. It is going to be a little over 5 ft tall, the one for the chickens is shorter but they go in on their own. I figured this way of I need to shoo them in I can actually get in the run. We used a plastic mesh and stretched it across. Keeps the chickens safe, hoping it will keep the turkeys in and safe, and out of trees?

 

[Gorman Farm]

thanks for the tip, our coop is so large I think I would need a truck load of sand.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

There is that initial cost with occasionally topping it off. We found hay and shavings too messy with turkeys. Hopefully someone else will share what they do.

 

[FarmerMac]

There is that initial cost with occasionally topping it off. We found hay and shavings too messy with turkeys. Hopefully someone else will share what they do.

I also use sand in my turkey coop, it allows for the moisture to sip down. I used straw and pine shavings in the past but it got wet and messy. I live near a place where they sale sand and gravel by the truck load. They charge $35.00 for a pick up truck load, luckily my 3/4 ton truck handles two front loader scoops of sand, that is enough for the coop. Buying sand in bulk is a lot cheaper than buying 50 lbs bags of sand at HD or Lowes.

 

[ivan3]

thanks for the tip, our coop is so large I think I would need a truck load of sand.

Wanted to check in to see how your Meleagris Mansion was progressing (our turks will not get to see pics as they'd be submitting requests for a transfer). We also use sand as a base in the turkey shed (grain diameter consistent with that of Quikrete Commercial Grade - medium/coarse), call around to local quarries/concrete Co.'s - will usually be pretty cheap in bulk, even when delivered. Depending on your soil type, amendment of soil with sand will make cleanup much easier and keep you all & turks much cleaner. Our runs are on a slight slope and fencing on "low" side is bordered by large rocks - hard rains move sand to low side and then it is just raked back up further into run. We use ~4" of sand in shed as base dressed by wood chips (no sawdust) and straw. Our flooring consists of a large remnant of Congoleum over treated .75" treated plywood. We started out with just wood chips & straw but when the turks would fly down from roost (2"x4") they'd land near doorway and slide out into run on their butts (too slippery), added sand and that fixed the problem. In early Spring we just clean out shed and replace (granted, our shed is only 7'x8'). Discarded chips and straw go to compost pile or added to "cover" in berry patches and the sand is just pushed out door and raked around run. Also, want to put in a good word for folding plastic infant fences (had several stored in garage as grand kids no longer required them) as we used those for poult pens (covered with 1"x2" welded wire held down by bricks) so we'd just place a towel in bottom of cardboard box, tranfer two week old (and up) poults from brooder to box, cover box with towel and carry them to their "yard pen" on warm (80°F+) days - and the pen was easy to move around (don't leave them out when temp drops). Other use for infant fence? Separating (only works for a week - poults start flying over - but useful in the interim) Without the sand in runs - it's clay for everyone! in late winter ground melt (yeah, took addition of quite a bit during first 4 yrs - now all it takes is the addition of the Spring cleanout sand from shed) placement of run roosts in corners of run allows one to get creative with tarps over W/N run fencing in winter (pull edges of tarp up over top of fencing where roosts are - some "cover" when all want to be out during ice storms

 

[Gorman Farm]

Thanks again for all the tips.
The roof is on, we used 1/2 " plywood over the beams, then covered in tyvec, next we did metal roof and did roofing tar over all nail holes. We had extra metal roof
from another project.
We are finishing the outside corners of building today. We still have to do the turkey and people doors. The turkey doors will be hung so the make a downward ramp to the grazing area.
I built the brooder, it isn't as fancy as hubby's handywork but I think it will do, I can change the perch height as they grow. 2 closed sides and 2 open sides with a waist height door so I can clean easily enough. It is about 36 inches long and 32 inches wide, and 34 inches tall.
Here are the latest pics.


We live in Florida so we don't have to prep for snow, and the soil is sand based already. It rarely gets colder then 50 degrees here. The floor of the coop is rough concrete so we don't have to worry about slipping. I am going to call about sand for the base. I always have shavings as I use them for chickens and under the straw for my sheep.

During the project our ewe had her two lambs, twin boys.

 

[ivan3]

Thanks for posting shots (excellent developments & deliveries all around ). Please keep us updated!

 

[Gorman Farm]

I will...just got a disappointing call from Cackle Hatchery my delivery is delayed till April 11th.......boooo
We should be done with coop soon..........

 

[rsxownes]

Hey there, you have a good looking coop coming along there. I just wanted to ask what did you use for the walls of the coop, some type of paneling?