@Sally Sunshine
Not going to quote as that was a really long post...
Turkeys are much bigger than chickens (other than Midget White and Royal Palm) and naturally take more space to live in luxury. They prefer outdoor runs with shelter to indoor coops. They prefer to roost well above the ground, many of mine roost at 7' and higher. My coops are metal hoop design and have no perchable rafters, so we built multi-tier wooden roosts.
I have 10 square feet per turkey for the growing birds, and it is crowded. Not packed, but not much room for the young jakes to spar, nor much room to spread their wings to fly. But I am raising them for market, so it's only a matter of weeks that they are full sized and crowded before they are sent off for Thanksgiving. I would want 20 square feet per turkey or more combined indoor/outdoor space with free access.
Turkeys are triggered by day length same as chickens, but like chickens they can lay year round if so inclined. Typically, however, they lay most of their eggs in the spring. My runs and coops are all fencing, with covered roof that filters the light. There is plenty of natural light, and hens will seek a dim corner to lay. Old tires seem to be a favored nesting environment, as do piles of straw bales built up like an igloo, or brush piles.
Not going to quote as that was a really long post...
Turkeys are much bigger than chickens (other than Midget White and Royal Palm) and naturally take more space to live in luxury. They prefer outdoor runs with shelter to indoor coops. They prefer to roost well above the ground, many of mine roost at 7' and higher. My coops are metal hoop design and have no perchable rafters, so we built multi-tier wooden roosts.
I have 10 square feet per turkey for the growing birds, and it is crowded. Not packed, but not much room for the young jakes to spar, nor much room to spread their wings to fly. But I am raising them for market, so it's only a matter of weeks that they are full sized and crowded before they are sent off for Thanksgiving. I would want 20 square feet per turkey or more combined indoor/outdoor space with free access.
Turkeys are triggered by day length same as chickens, but like chickens they can lay year round if so inclined. Typically, however, they lay most of their eggs in the spring. My runs and coops are all fencing, with covered roof that filters the light. There is plenty of natural light, and hens will seek a dim corner to lay. Old tires seem to be a favored nesting environment, as do piles of straw bales built up like an igloo, or brush piles.
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