Outdoor turkey brooder

[mochicken]

Ok so I have my 3 week old bronze turkeys in the house in a cage brooder that was big enough for 8 chickens but is looking pretty small with even 3 of the 3 week turkeys in there lol.

I am wanting to build something outside for them to "brood" until they can be let out into the fenced in area that I have for them behind the chicken coop.

I have a half shed leanto like shed with a 20x40' fenced area with welded wire fence top that I was going to let them live in when they get older but I know they are not ready to be turned loose around that yet, I do not have a garage but I am pretty mechanical and have a good supply of lumber, welded wire, hinges, locks etc etc etc that I can use to build something. What would I build? Do they need a three sided wood enclosure with one mesh and screen side or do they need a 4 sided wood box?

I live in NW Missouri and our average daily temps are supposed to be in the mid to high 80's to mid 90's and overnight lows in the high 70's to low 80's for the next couple weeks.
I have a good brooder light, feeders, waterers etc but I am reading that they need to be in a brooder for 3 months and I know the cage brooder I have them in will be way too small at 3 months because its already too small.

 

[Lagerdogger]

If they are already three weeks old, you don't need a four sided brooder unless you expect very cold weather. Once they are fully feathered, temperature is not nearly the issue it was when they were downy fluff balls. I have a fully enclosed brooder with an attached screen porch. I start letting them out at three weeks. By four, they won't go back inside.

If you do make a three sided brooder with porch, it wouldn't hurt to run the light at night and maybe put up a draft shield just in case they get cold.

 

[mochicken]

ok thanks, I have a 3ft x 8ft cage enclosure with a 3ft x 3 foot "coop" on the end with roosts and food and water setup that I built for my baby RIR chicks but never used, I might just use that an put it on some 2-3 foot 4x4 poles to get it up off the ground, that would save me some work from building a new one then I can move them to their new home when they outgrow that one.

The temps here shouldnt get anywhere near cool, I would guess the lowest will be the mid 70's at night but the way its been lately I doubt that even lol. I will put a light in there and they can decide if they are cold and get near it, they definitely grew up fast in 3 weeks so I will have some big ol turkeys soon lol