INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[luvsdaytrotters]

I don't own a gun. My son does. I would like to put an end to them here but I'm a "Chicken" hahaha.

I had a hawk issue a couple years ago. I hung old dvd & cd disks in bushes & trees, anywhere that would catch some movement from the wind & reflect light. I also made a scarecrow. No problem since.

 

[luvsdaytrotters]

http://www.fws.gov/permits/
Concerning hawks & other birds of prey.

 

[minmin1258]

VERY SWEET! Do you know what breed(s) the golden one in back right is? (The one with a dark stripe down back of head). Quote:

16 chicks out of a coolerbator

Is the black with white spot a sex link? They are so cute!!!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

barred rocks are black with a dot too. But a dot on a black sex link means supper in 5 months around here.

 

[ChickCrazed]

Question for those of you with Turkeys. How much space do they need? Are there any special housing requirements? I am interested in Palms and the smaller breeds.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Question for those of you with Turkeys. How much space do they need? Are there any special housing requirements? I am interested in Palms and the smaller breeds.

Turkeys like space. My turkey hens use a double nesting box but 2 turkey hens were in there together just about every day last week. Still 1 turkey hen would be more than squished in a single box as they are too long, their tail feathers would be sticking out at best. The roosting bars are wide and supported too. No wimpy broomsticks in the turkey coop. No prefab tiny coops at all after about 8 weeks of age.
They are slow but mighty compared to a chicken. And it is a big leap to go from a red star hen to a palm tom. Mine are all in the same coop and fine together but there is a size difference. It feels good to catch the tom on a first try but one miss and he can sure make a good sport of dodging without running. Just hops at the last moment then circles back to see if I'll play again.

 

[ChickCrazed]

Turkeys like space.  My turkey hens use a double nesting box but 2 turkey hens were in there together just about every day last week.  Still 1 turkey hen would be more than squished in a single box as they are too long, their tail feathers would be sticking out at best.   The roosting bars are wide and supported too.  No wimpy broomsticks in the turkey coop.  No prefab tiny coops at all after about 8 weeks of age.

They are slow but mighty compared to a chicken.  And it is a big leap to go from a red star hen to a palm tom.  Mine are all in the same coop and fine together but there is a size difference.  It feels good to catch the tom on a first try but one miss and he can sure make a good sport of dodging without running.  Just hops at the last moment then circles back to see if I'll play again.

I have an empty 6x6 pen with an attached 6x16 run. How many palms would be happy in there? There is a double best box that I can take the divider out of. The roost is a solid 2x4 on its side, it is only 30" off the ground though. What modifications should I make?

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: Winter would be an issue, as 3 turkeys would not be happy in a 6 x 6 coop. Now if the run was covered for winter to make a temporary larger coop, it might work. The turkeys really do like space. I plan to free range many of mine all summer before processing dates. I'll then keep a bare flock of turkeys during the winter. No more than 2 breeds most likely so maybe 8-10, 12 at most with backups. They will be in my largest coop with my largest run. And I'll free range them on good days, more so if I have backup toms. I'll toss my layer flock in that coop too as for the most part the turkeys could car less about my chicken hens. The turkey eggs look clearly distinct from my hens eggs so its not a problem there. To me it seems like the turkeys and the chicken hens share a space like donkeys and sheep can. But roosters are a target to turkeys. young turkeys were fine with the roosters but the closer the turkeys got to laying the more the roosters ran and ran. I put the roosters in with the ducks and all was right in the rooster world again.

@jchny2000 has done a lot of coop conversions and she has white turkeys about the same size as my palms. She would be better able to help with what needs to be done. I think the 30 inch high roosting bar would be fine to start with as long as they don't get you know what in the nest.

 

[ChickCrazed]

Winter would be an issue, as 3 turkeys would not be happy in a 6 x 6 coop. Now if the run was covered for winter to make a temporary larger coop, it might work. The turkeys really do like space. I plan to free range many of mine all summer before processing dates. I'll then keep a bare flock of turkeys during the winter. No more than 2 breeds most likely so maybe 8-10, 12 at most with backups. They will be in my largest coop with my largest run. And I'll free range them on good days, more so if I have backup toms. I'll toss my layer flock in that coop too as for the most part the turkeys could car less about my chicken hens. The turkey eggs look clearly distinct from my hens eggs so its not a problem there. To me it seems like the turkeys and the chicken hens share a space like donkeys and sheep can. But roosters are a target to turkeys. young turkeys were fine with the roosters but the closer the turkeys got to laying the more the roosters ran and ran. I put the roosters in with the ducks and all was right in the rooster world again.

@jchny2000 has done a lot of coop conversions and she has white turkeys about the same size as my palms. She would be better able to help with what needs to be done. I think the 30 inch high roosting bar would be fine to start with as long as they don't get you know what in the nest.

Hmmmm, I have space to expand, it is just kind of an awkward space. The pen that is empty is the one on the right in the picture and I need to leave a decent walkway to the other back pen. I figure I'll have some processed before winter too. I can wrap the run for winter to give them more space. I will free range as much as possible as long as I don't have the water trough issue. I'm also planning to clip the wings to keep them from flying over the five foot fence.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I it was me, I would leave the door to the walkway open on that right pen just for winter. The turkeys have never ever tried to come at me and I'm not nervous to walk in their pen at all. Nothing compared to when I had a hatchery RIR pair of roosters on the lot. Still if you are wanting a poo free area to be able to walk into for gathering eggs, the turkeys in the walkway area would mess that up.