I need s8ome wisdom

[I4Him]

My girls are raising turkeys for the first time for 4H (We've had chickens the last 5 years). We have 8 poults in the basement in dog kennels - they'll be 4 weeks on the weekend. We can either put them in a thoroughly cleaned and vacuumed wood-floor, insulated chicken coop that is 10' X 10' and has a light, or put them out in a mostly dirt 12' X 6' run with a small coop to lock them in at night with a light.

I admit I am very nervous about where to put them - even more so after reading some of the threads. Also, I had so much trouble with them eating wood chips and paper towel that I had to put them on old towels. I obviously cannot cover a 10 X 10 coop with towels. Will turkeys continue to eat the wood chips now they are older, or is there something better?

Any advice would be appreciated!
Thank you so very much.
Cindy

 

[daniel rainey]

i would put them in the insulated chicken coop, with one towel on the warmest area (where they will sleep) and leave the rest un bedded it will do them no harm as long as it is gripy enough for them to walk on alright

 

[Lagerdogger]

If you live where its cold, I'd put them in the coop. If its warm, something like lows above 55 or so, they would probably be happier outside. I have a screen porch on my brooder, and after 4 weeks old, its hard to get them to go back inside. If you have blackhead in your area, you might want to keep them off teh dirt if you've been raising chickens there.

 

[Arielle]

Can you offer them a source of grit? Perhaps that will help when they eat the paper and the wood chips. I have had that problem with chicks but not poults so far.

Dirt floors can be damp-- not sure of your soil conditions. SOme dirt floors can be fairly dry, others very moist and cold. CHeck early in am after a good soaking rain if you are not sure.

Good luck. Turkeys are addictive.