Nine Week Old Poults Old Enough for Outside?

[Catwmn]

I have six nine week old baby turkeys in a four by eight brooder. They are seriously outgrowing it. We want to build them a pen this weekend so they can have some outside time. It has been in the 70's here during the day and gone down into the 50's at night. A look at our 14 day forecast shows two nights down in the 30's over the next couple of weeks. Is that too cold for them to go without heat? The place we are putting their pen there is no way for us to get power down to it. Do you think they will do OK or should I wait? We had a fire in their brooder yesterday that almost killed them. Their light fell down into the shavings and it was smouldering when my husband found it.(I'm guessing one of them flew up and hit it and knocked it and the nail holding it down.) I was scared I almost lost them all. :/ Next spring instead of using lamps I am investing in Sweeter Heater panels for my brooders. No more lights!! Also, will a five foot tall fence keep them in for now? I know they can probably fly by now but I don't have a way to cover the run we are putting them in, maybe clip their wings? They NEED to get out and stretch their little legs and get some fresh air and sunshine.

 

[TV]

9wks. is way past the time that they need any supplemental heat and they will be able to fly over a 5' fence. They need some room.

 

[Catwmn]

I was told by someone else that raises turkeys that she never takes them out of the brooder until they are at least 16 weeks old. And that they needed heat until then. I thought that sounded a bit extreme. She said they could not touch the ground or get rained on until four months old. We clipped their wings this morning and put them out in the pen with the ducks. They are having a blast eating grass and playing in the sun. I will put them back up at night but during the day they should be FINE out there.

 

[kuntrygirl]

For me, 9 weeks would be too soon for me to allow them no heat with our current temps in Louisiana. If it were summer and the night temps were 80 degrees, then that would be a different story. I think everyone's situation will be different. For the next 10 days, we will have great day weather but at night, the temps will be in low 40s. So, I would afraid to put them outside without heat. I think 30 degrees is too cold for them. I wouldn't allow my poults to be in 30 degree temps without a heat lamp. That scares me. But like I said, that is just me. My own personal opinion.

However, I do agree that they need to come out of the brooder for the reasons that you have talked about. Can you try doing this.?.........When you take them out of the brooder and remove the heat, monitor them at night and see if they are huddled up in a pack or not. If they are not bunched up together and are sleeping away from each other, then the temps may be ok. But if they are all bunched up in a pack trying to get warm, then you will know they are cold. I would especially monitor those 30 degree nights. That is too cold. Heck, 30 degrees is too cold for me. :/ Don't just put them out there without monitoring their behavior because you may wake up to frozen poults the next morning. Their behavior will tell you what you need to know.

Good Luck with whatever you decide. Let us know what you decide.

 

[Catwmn]

For now we have them outside and will move them back to the brooder at night under their lights. I will also keep them in the brooder on days when it rains or we have bad weather. When they are four months old I will put them outside full time I think. By then we will have their housing built so they can live with the other big turkeys.

Thanks everyone for the help!!

 

[kuntrygirl]

For now we have them outside and will move them back to the brooder at night under their lights. I will also keep them in the brooder on days when it rains or we have bad weather. When they are four months old I will put them outside full time I think. By then we will have their housing built so they can live with the other big turkeys.

Thanks everyone for the help!!

Good luck. Keep us posted.

 

[Celie]

I agree with the advice from Kuntrygirl, totally, but would just like to add that I put a layer of hardware cloth over my brooders, so the light can not fall in. I have had them break a heat lamp before. I now use an electric, oil circulating, radiant heater in an enclosed brooder room for mine. I want to get the room out of the house and into the new barn, which is this spring's project! Then I will have to remodel this 3rd bathroom again! LOL Good luck !

 

[frank53061]

Agree x 3

 

[Lagerdogger]

I didn't think of myself as too adventurous, but I get my turkeys out of the brooder and into their fenced pasture at six weeks. If its cold, they just pile together. I worried about temperatures at first, but I don't anymore. My brooder has a screen porch that I start letting them onto at about three weeks. At first, they go back in a night, but by five weeks they want to stay outside, rain or shine. If its raining I make them go inside at night, but they can stay out if it's dry regardless of temperature. Then at six weeks, out they go. No problems.

 

[Celie]

I didn't think of myself as too adventurous, but I get my turkeys out of the brooder and into their fenced pasture at six weeks. If its cold, they just pile together. I worried about temperatures at first, but I don't anymore. My brooder has a screen porch that I start letting them onto at about three weeks. At first, they go back in a night, but by five weeks they want to stay outside, rain or shine. If its raining I make them go inside at night, but they can stay out if it's dry regardless of temperature. Then at six weeks, out they go. No problems.

Maybe you have heartier turkey breeds up in MN, but I have had too many poults, catch a chill and die, before I learned what was causing it.