Sun porch for turkeys

[psychoroo]

I'm expecting my first shipment of Narragansett turkeys the first week of April. I was planning on building a run and coop, similar to what I have for chickens, but after reading Storey's Guide To Raising Turkeys I was wondering if all I need to do is build and 8 X 12 sun porch. According to the book that would be all I need for 15 turkeys. Storey's has a drawing in it where it looks like approx 4' of one end has three sides and a roof with roosts inside. The floor is 2 X 2 wooden slats raised 2' off the ground. Anyone have any experience with this?

 

[WalnutHill]

I don't think 8 x 12 would be comfortable for 15 turkeys. Maybe 4. One of my outdoor pens is 15 x 15 and it's crowded with 15 turkeys.

The wingspan on an adult Narragansett is over 4 feet, and they can jump up with a flap or two to the top of a 6' high dog kennel. While you might be able to squeeze them in there, they would be unhappy.

Depending on your climate, you may not need a "coop" but you should provide a covered shelter with a high roost and enough room above for them to fly to a safe height. They prefer to roost in trees if given the opportunity.

If you are talking about building a brooder, 8 x 12 would be fine for 15 turkeys. But they'd outgrow it by 8 to 10 weeks old.