Brooding poults outside in the heat

[zekii]

My poults are doing wonderfully! They are 3 weeks old now and are growing so fast! I have not built the turkey coop yet. I need to get started! I am building basically the same thing as I have for my meat chickens and I know that it only takes a couple of days to get done so I haven't been in a huge hurry. I know the turkeys are going to be with us much longer than the meat chickens so I am going to alter it a bit to put better and more sturdy roosts and close the top up a bit more to keep them out of the weather. I live in the deep south so it really doesn't get too cold or snow so I don't have to worry about that. I enjoy having light weight coops that I can move around the yard, although all of my birds free range and can get as many greens and bugs as they want, it helps to keep the coop cleaner. My head roosters and laying hens are in a permanent wooden coop but there aren't nearly as many of them to clean up after. Good luck with your turkeys! These are my first as well so I'm learning as I go and time shall tel how well the hoop coop will do with turkeys. So far, it has worked great for the chickens. It isn't the prettiest thing in the world, but it was cheap, easy, and functional. Everything I was hoping for. The first picture is the finished product with the babies waiting to be let out to free range for the day. The orange thing hanging down is a hose which is attached to an automatic waterer, which I LOVE! The second was while we were building it and is only the main frame before the wire and doors were added.

I like your hoop house, what are the demensions? I have a 8ft x 10ft one I built using tractor supply hogg panels, but I need a much
larger one for my turkeys, and this one looks like it would do the job !!!

 

[KristinMarie]

Thank you! It is approximately 15 feet wide, 20 foot long, and 7 feet high at the mid-point. Each pvc hoop was made using 2x 1/2 inch pipes measuring 10 feet long each and attached in the center with a coupling. It made it much easier not to have to cut any pvc. The center spine was also made using two 10 foot sections joined together. The bottom of the pvc is attached to the frame with metal brackets and to each other and the wire with zip ties. It is all very simple to put together, but again, it isn't good for anyone who has a lot of predators. It is primarily to keep the birds in and to deter small predators that might be thinking about wanting a chicken/turkey dinner. If they really want in they can get in.

 

[frank53061]

Great looking Poults you got there and love the Hoop house thought of one of those for my self but very little flat ground and lots of trees.
What part of the country you from.

I had to cut down some saplings and use the surrounding trees as post to hold the fencing.

 

[KristinMarie]

Thank you! I am living in south Mississippi right now (grew up in southwest Virginia) so if we have anything it is flat land. I miss the mountains! I know how it is when you are trying to build something though and have no flat area anywhere.