How winter hardy are turkeys?

[Cottage Rose]

I live in Michigan and we get very cold temps and snow for much of the winter.
I raised my first turkeys ever this year that I hatched from eggs.
Fell in love with the rascals and want to keep a couple of them (White Midgets) but they are getting
harder and harder to go into their shed at night preferring to roost in the trees at night.
That's fine for now but what about when we have sub zero temps and blizzard conditions?
Thank you for any advise.

 

[Lagerdogger]

Turkeys do just fine in the winter. I live in Minnesota, and they stay outside all winter long with no problems. Just make sure they have unfrozen water to drink. (I think they eat a lot of snow because the water doesn't go very fast).

 

[Cottage Rose]

So their curuncles and wattles don't freeze?
I've had some problems with this with large combed chickens and Muscovy Ducks

 

[SillyChicken]

So their curuncles and wattles don't freeze?
I've had some problems with this with large combed chickens and Muscovy Ducks

No their caruncles, snoods and dewlaps won't freeze (they don't have wattles). I live in MI as well and have no issues. I herd my birds into an enclosed coop at night because I don't want to lose them to predation. Usually if I herd them inside before they feel the urge to roost it's not an issue. But, they don't go in on their own like chickens. (unfortunately)

 

[Cottage Rose]

Ya, I try to herd them in before it gets too late but they are getting less inclined to want to go in at night.
They use to herd in for me really well but now they run or fly off.

 

[kitmarlowescot2]

Have you tried bribery to get them to go in their enclosure ?

 

[Cottage Rose]

Yes. They free range all day and I only give them a handful of scratch feed in the AM.
Their food/pellets is in the shed and the only time they have access to it is at night.
Some will come in when I open the door but 1 - 3 of them will not come in and run off if I try to herd them in.
Before they would march right in and eat, then go up on the roost.
Not anymore.
Will they be more inclined to come in if the weather is really bad or deep snow?

 

[Mike Winters]

they are native to North America so they should have no problem living in areas that wild turkeys can live in

 

[Haida]

I close mine up in their coop when I know its going to be cold, windy, snowy or some combination of the three. They have a large barn as well as a fenced and netted in run, but I noticed they don't actually like standing in the snow. They'll walk through if they have to, but they reeeally don't want to. Its kind of cute, they're like kids and the snow is lava, they do allllll that they can to keep from stepping in it!

But once it gets too cold, they'll just hunker down and tuck in on their roosts. I noticed they don't eat much, just in the morning, then its back to the roost. Oh, and I'm in upstate NY by the lakes. Brrr!