Okay, bought a turkey poult

[silkiechicken]

He probably will think he's a big overweight chicken! They are silly little guys. I suggest geting a pair of cornish x and practice butchering them first if you haven't butchered poultry before. It would be good experience before tackling a 30-40... maybe even 50 lb turkey depending on how long you let him go and if it's is a he. They have VERY powerful wings. The broad breasted varieties get A LOT larger than the heritage breeds.

For an idea of size at 10 weeks old, here's my two boys next to a 1 gallon fount. They all free range as blackhead is not a problem in this area.

 

[SueNH]

I wouldn't worry about making a door big enough for the turkey. An overhang with a perch is all he wants or needs. They are happier outside than locked in at night.

I had a heritage bird roost on a satellite dish on my roof all winter in all kinds of weather. I did give him away first opportunity. They are much more cold hardy than chickens.

The BB won't be able to get that high and probably only 6 to 8 inches up onto a perch very quickly.

I feed all my birds, chickens, ducks, turkeys, peacocks, geese a game bird pellet. The chickens do very well and lay wonderful eggs. Oyster shell is also given free choice. I've got chickens that are approaching 10 years old and still laying pretty regularly. Most layer feed doesn't have enough protein to keep a chicken healthy long term. It's made for factory farm birds who are recycled into soup after a year or two.

 

[rockhound]

So when the turkey gets bigger I can just give him an outside perch in the pen, as apposed to locking him up with the chickens, as long as I have something for a roof over his head to keep him out of the rain? What about October/November when it starts to get cold (I'm in Maine) Won't it be pretty chilly for him outside like that? After that, in theory, it won't matter because he will be dinner, unless my little sweetheart boys get too attached.

 

[SueNH]

I'm in New Hampshire in the White Mountains. Mine stay out all winter. They can get into a building if they choose but they don't. For 2 years I chased them in every night. The BB's I had I had to lift in. I finally gave up. They want to be out.

I had snow literally up to my shoulders and to my nose in spots this winter. The turkeys still chose outside. A few like to go into the tarped pen I have. I have only one that goes into a coop to roost.

The BB will be fine outside with a cover into December. If you have a change of heart and try to keep the meat bird going through January and February then put him in at night through a people door. The only reason I say that is because by that time he may be too big to get off the cold ground.

The BB birds I had succumbed to their genetics in their second season for the tom and the third for the hen. They couldn't handle the heat. The cold didn't bother them. I did secure them in building at night because they couldn't get out of their own way if they wanted to.

 

[chickenannie]

I agree with Sue about the cold-hardiness of heritage turkeys. I was very worried about mine last fall since I got them last June as day-olds, but having seen them now go through hailstorms, windstorms, snowstorms, and rainstorms perched on my tree (40 feet up in the top), I've realized they are virtually weather-and-cold indestructible.

Mine had started out roosting on the fence, and eventually favored the biggest tree in my yard. The only time they perched anywhere else was when we had 30-40 mph winds, and then they moved to a fir tree which had lower branches. They all slept facing into the wind with their heads tucked under a wing. Yes, I mean slept. Don't know how they hang on while they're sleeping but they do!

The only time I saw my RB turkeys affected by cold was when a guy chased them into the creek on a 20F day early in the morning. 3 of them flew over it, the other 2 got wet in the creek and their feathers and feet froze and they looked shivery for a couple of hours. They warmed up ok eventually in the sunshine and were fine, but man was I mad at that guy.