Newbie with questions

[paulinaydern]

Hello!

We are new to this message board and want to start out by thanking everyone for the informative posts we've read so far. I picked up my belated Mother's day gifts yesterday, two BB poults. They will be family pets/yard art.

They aren't my first turkeys as I had one ten years ago, "Patrick".

I didn't have access to the type of info. that this board offers, but Patrick managed to grow up just fine, however he thought he was a Bullmastiff and not a turkey.

I want to raise my new poults the right way, so I am in the process of researching racoon proof housing for them. The plan is to let them free range during the day, and put away safe for the night. We have the space in our yard, so I'm wondering if a child's wooden playhouse would work, with modifications such as hardware cloth over any openings?

Also, would a dirt floor be ok? I'm thinking about the ease of raking it clean.

Thank you in advance for any advice, I'm sure I'll be asking for more!

P.

 

[giasmom]

Wow. Patrick is a handsome fellow ! I think if you could raise a turkey like that 10 years ago, you should have no problems now. Your ieads seem fime to me, playhouse & floor. Just make sure you do get it predator proof,however it is you choose to do it. Cute poults.

 

[giasmom]

BTW,

from Alabama.

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

Yes dirt floors work if you live in a drier area. Can become a mess in the wet climates, trust me we live in the rain capitol and mine are a mess, building them all floors this summer, tired of the dirt it oonly took a couple years to get the umph to do it.

Just do what you did 10 years ago and you will have no problems. Best thing to do with the BB turkeys is to feed them on a 12 hr on and 12 hr off schedule, daylight give them feed and at night no feed.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
Harp,
How does that work for you? I was stationed at the submarine base in Bangor years ago and it is a very wet area. You have said before you free range your turkeys, how do you house them on the range? Also, you said you have breeding pens how does that work out with the mud?

It's gets pretty wet here on the east coast as well but not the rain day after day like you get. Can you post some pics of your turkey housing, I'm sure it would help all of us.

Steve in NC

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

You have said before you free range your turkeys, how do you house them on the range?

with simple 9x12 hoop houses made from cattle panels and a tarp, with chicken wire on the ends. same as the chickens, but with roosts added. Also we use roost houses that are 8'x8' that only have a roof and roosts and that is where the most want to spend there time at.

Also, you said you have breeding pens how does that work out with the mud?

The breeding pens have over 8" of gravel dug in the floor (drainage) and then 4" of sand on top of that and then finally we bed that with straw and shavings what ever we have at that time.

It gets real costly in the early spring when the birds are in there and the rain is coming down, we have to add up to 4-6" every week when the rain is really hammering us !!

This summer I will be digging french drains to divert the water else where and then putting in wire floors on all bad trouble pens.​

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Harp,
Please post some pics we would love to see it.

Steve in NC

 

[paulinaydern]

Thank you for the replies, we live in on the central coast of California so the weather is fairly mild.

One more question; if we take the child's wooden playhouse route, what is the smallest size we could get away with for housing two birds?

It would only be used to keep them safe at night, otherwise they will be out and about the yard.

P.