How to keep my Broad Breasted White Warm in very cold climate

[R2elk]

Thank you for your response. You have very pretty birds. Halo is unable to roost high because of being a large breed and not being able to fly, but does do the head tuck when faced with the cold. I didn't realize the difference in the different breeds until I actually owned a turkey. They are all just amazing gifts.

They are all the same breed which is Turkey. They are a lot of different varieties.

A bale of hay or straw is all the broad breasted varieties need for a roost.

 

[R2elk]

I expected the insulation to do a better job.

Adding more birds will increase the inside temperature of a well insulated building from their own body heat.

 

[HalosHaven]

Do not supply a turkey with supplemental heat. It prevents the turkey from properly preparing for the cold. They grow feathers as needed for warmth. If you keep them too warm, they will not grow the feathers they need for warmth.

Heat is more of a problem for turkeys than cold is.

Keep good ventilation and no supplemental heat.

Here is an Alternate method to prevent water freezing.

Thank you for your response. I appreciate your tips. The water method is very interesting. Where I live, we get almost 300 inches of snow per year, so I'm not sure I could make this work for the whole winter, but it is definitely something I can keep in mind for future plans. Again, thanks for taking the time to reply to my post. I hope you have a great night.

 

[HalosHaven]

Adding more birds will increase the inside temperature of a well insulated building from their own body heat.

Oh, I definitely agree. Halo is a special situation and I never set out to own a bird, although I always dreamed of it. Getting another is not an option, but I would love for him to have a friend, for many reasons. Thank you so much for responding.

 

[PatriciafromCO]

Agree turkeys are very cold weather hardy. Adapting to the onset of winter. You want the animals to naturally adapt to the colder temps. Best example is not blanketing my horses, letting them grow a full shaggy coat and allowing them an open door barn to go in and out to pasture when they want to. In the large barn for the birds and goats I have iggloos, and wooden dog houses with straw if they want them. They like the rafters. Main thing is draft free for them. I think it's bad for the animals going from hot to cold. it's better for them to adapt to the onset of winter.

 

[HalosHaven]

Agree turkeys are very cold weather hardy. Adapting to the onset of winter. You want the animals to naturally adapt to the colder temps. Best example is not blanketing my horses, letting them grow a full shaggy coat and allowing them an open door barn to go in and out to pasture when they want to. In the large barn for the birds and goats I have iggloos, and wooden dog houses with straw if they want them. They like the rafters. Main thing is draft free for them. I think it's bad for the animals going from hot to cold. it's better for them to adapt to the onset of winter.

Thank you for your response. Yes, I've owned and shown horses since I was young and never blanketed them in the off-season (winter) and they actually loved going out in the snow and well below zero temperatures. So, I understand your point of view on this. I have purchased a Cozy Coop, but I do not plan on using it unless it gets to the blizzard levels with -35 below temps we get sometimes. Even then, I don't want him to get too accustomed to it in case of loss of power. He does have a great coat of feathers and is adjusting well to the first dumping of snow we are getting today. Thanks again. I really feel a lot better.

 

[arazla]

I realize this post is over a year old, but it came up in my search for information on broad breasted turkeys and cold. However, it seems to me that this advise may be misguided, despite all the experience here. A google search using the query "how tolerant are broad breasted turkeys to cold" shows the following: "Broad-breasted turkeys are not very tolerant of cold and require significant shelter, dry bedding, and protection from wind and drafts to survive winter. They are sensitive to extreme temperatures, so providing a heated shelter with good ventilation and wide perches to keep their feet off the cold ground is crucial for their health and to prevent frostbite."

Okay, so google AI could be wrong, but I strongly suspect not all turkeys are created equal. I have had heritage turkeys that want to sleep outside in a tree even when it's icey and near zero temperatures, though I always redirect them. However, I've noticed my broad breasted turkey shivers all the time and it's only gotten down the 30s so far. Opensanctuary.org states this: Large breed turkeys are extra sensitive to temperatures. "In the winter, it’s important to provide their housing with a safe heating source and a bit of extra food if it gets below freezing. In the summer, large breed turkeys can experience heat stroke in hot temperatures. To avoid this, make sure that the turkeys have an area where they can cool down comfortably."

Moreover, research on just chickens and cold tolerance in general shows that they do get cold when it gets below 35 degrees, so perhaps BYC experts might want to update some of their info.

 

[R2elk]

I realize this post is over a year old, but it came up in my search for information on broad breasted turkeys and cold. However, it seems to me that this advise may be misguided, despite all the experience here. A google search using the query "how tolerant are broad breasted turkeys to cold" shows the following: "Broad-breasted turkeys are not very tolerant of cold and require significant shelter, dry bedding, and protection from wind and drafts to survive winter. They are sensitive to extreme temperatures, so providing a heated shelter with good ventilation and wide perches to keep their feet off the cold ground is crucial for their health and to prevent frostbite."

Okay, so google AI could be wrong, but I strongly suspect not all turkeys are created equal. I have had heritage turkeys that want to sleep outside in a tree even when it's icey and near zero temperatures, though I always redirect them. However, I've noticed my broad breasted turkey shivers all the time and it's only gotten down the 30s so far. Opensanctuary.org states this: Large breed turkeys are extra sensitive to temperatures. "In the winter, it’s important to provide their housing with a safe heating source and a bit of extra food if it gets below freezing. In the summer, large breed turkeys can experience heat stroke in hot temperatures. To avoid this, make sure that the turkeys have an area where they can cool down comfortably."

Moreover, research on just chickens and cold tolerance in general shows that they do get cold when it gets below 35 degrees, so perhaps BYC experts might want to update some of their info.

Poultry that are provided with supplemental heat cannot properly grow the under feathers that keep them warm in cold weather.

When I had broad breasted turkeys, they did fine without supplemental heat in winter temperatures that got down into the -30⁰F range.

AI finds information but is totally clueless as to the validity of the information it finds.