housing turkeys

[OneMountainAcres]

I have eggs in the bator due to start hatch 3 weeks from now and I'm looking into coops for them. I have lots of chickens and know pretty much what I'm doing with them but I've never had turkeys before. How much coop and run space do they need? I've heard a 2 X 6 laid flat for a roost correct? How much today space per bird? I've been looking at metal sheds. Will one of those work well for a turkey house? The one I'm looking at is galvanized steel and is 10 x 8 ft. It would be positioned in a shaded area over the summer. I could always add some insulation if needed. Advice? Opinions?

I also know that turkey poults need higher protien than chicks but I have a bunch of organic chick starter left (21%). Would I be able to do that and add a couple scrambled eggs to it daily? I've also heard that once full grown they can eat the same layer feed as my chickens (17% ). Am I right? Thanks everyone!

 

[WalnutHill]

Wow, you are looking for a whole lot of answers, and they can all be answered with "it depends". Not trying to be hard on you, but you don't say what varieties of turkeys, how many, what your goals are for them (table fare this fall or breeding stock or pets), or how big the run will be, or if they will be able to come and go as they please.

Turkeys like to roost high, and a 2x4 on flat is fine. My Narragansetts won't roost less than 4' off the floor and prefer the higher poles at 7'+, and the BBB hen roosts 14" off the floor.

While my chickens roost shoulder to shoulder, each turkey picks a different pole, and never one over the other. I have four turkeys in one pen with about 40' of linear roosting poles on several racks and they spread out.

A grown turkey's wingspan is about 5'. An 8' x 10' shed is going to seem small to them when they fly up to roost. If they are BBB or BBW, then that's not so much of an issue, but you will need a LOT of ventilation once they start growing, and a lot of cleaning. I would consider an 8 x 10 coop with free access to outdoors enough to house 8 heritage or 4 broad breasted turkeys to adulthood.

While you can feed heritage turkeys on 21%, I prefer to start all my turkeys for 2 weeks on 28% gamebird, then 24% for 4 weeks, then 18% until market, supplementing with greens as much as possible. Broad breasted turkeys need higher protein but also need managed diets if you plan to keep them more than 6 months.

My turkey hens eat chicken layer mash sprinkled with gamebird starter.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I apologize, I wasn't thinking breeds would matter. I have 15 bourbon red eggs in the bator now (some may not be fertile amd some are shipped so may not develope). I'm also getting about 6 mixed eggs I'm not sure exactly which varieties but they are heritage and not the broad breasted type. They will be able to free range but I need to know how much run space they need for days that they will have to be confined. We will be keeping probably 4 or 5 of the bourbon reds for breeding for yearly food but the rest we will butcher in the fall.

 

[WalnutHill]

In confinement, for a short time to sit out foul weather, figure 4 square feet per adult bird. That would be 20 birds if there are no obstructions and they all get along. They cannot be kept that snug for long.

Turkeys rarely need confinement from the weather once fully feathered.

 

[chicken pickin]

I have eggs in the bator due to start hatch 3 weeks from now and I'm looking into coops for them. I have lots of chickens and know pretty much what I'm doing with them but I've never had turkeys before. How much coop and run space do they need? I've heard a 2 X 6 laid flat for a roost correct? How much today space per bird? I've been looking at metal sheds. Will one of those work well for a turkey house? The one I'm looking at is galvanized steel and is 10 x 8 ft. It would be positioned in a shaded area over the summer. I could always add some insulation if needed. Advice? Opinions?

I also know that turkey poults need higher protien than chicks but I have a bunch of organic chick starter left (21%). Would I be able to do that and add a couple scrambled eggs to it daily? I've also heard that once full grown they can eat the same layer feed as my chickens (17% ). Am I right? Thanks everyone!

Just my personal opinion but I would steer clear of the metal sheds. They will get entirely too hot in the summer even in the shade and they don't have a need for an insulated coop so you could skip that part on any coop you decide to use.

I do not know the exact amount of area turkeys need but I can tell you about my set up and what seems to work for me.

I built a large walk in type turkey house mostly out of old pallets, the floor and 3 walls are full pallets all screwed together for the house frame. The house is about 7ft tall in the front and slopes down to about 5ft in the back, the floor dimensions are roughly 9x5 maybe so 45sqft. Ideally I would prefer only 5 adult turkeys in this but I currently have 7 and it works and they only use it for sleeping purposes. The roost I used is a small tree I cut down to size and it runs the length of the house. I have an old pallet leaned up against the inside wall for and indoor nest area and there is also a hanging feeder and a feeding station for grit and oyster shell. There run is roughly 10 x 30 though I think it is a little large than that. The run is made out of a chain link fence and I put PVC pipes arched upward(think rainbows) over the pen to raise the height and then I draped aviary netting over the PVC. Inside the run they have a large log/branch for roosting and outside nest.
To the side of the turkey house/run, I built a small turkey grow out pen,















As for feed, I prefer to start my turkey poults on 28% starter, I feel it benefits them. I have also done lower proteins like 22% starter/grower and it was ok also.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

http://www.lowes.com/pd/Arrow-Galva...erior-Dimensions:-9.85-ft-x-7.5-Feet)/3125499
rhoa is the shed I was thinking about. Do you think it would be too hot, even with the double doors left open at all times (during the spring, summer, and fall seasons anyway). They would only be using it at night for roosting and I would be shutting the run door to keep them protected inside. I could add additional ventilation if needed too

I love your coop by the way, it's gorgeous!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I think you will want to avoid the metal coop. Maybe get an open walled coop for the best ventilation.