PICS of Turkeys and their coops please show them

[Animallover606]

I am thinking about raising Turkeys and I need suggestions please !!

 

[Redfeathers]

I'm looking forward to the answers you get on this thread, I was thinking of raising a turkey but I don't know a thing about them.

 

[Animallover606]

I know some things I am just needing more information. I also am looking forward to these ansers.

 

[amanda_dedi]

My two bronze turkeys are housed with my chickens in a coop with these dimensions:

Length - 15ft x 4in
Width - 11ft x 3in
Height - 10ft

here are some pics of them:

 

[Crazy4GameCocks]

i just have 3 babys turkeys i found out u have to have them on a game starter not just plan sterter cause they will have leggs problems they need more protine for there leggs to support there bodys

 

[ivan3]

Here are the links to a couple of recent threads about turkey behavior and turkey `housing'. Turks are great. Either hatch them or get them within a week after hatching (imprint on you).

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=42373&p=1

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=40700&p=1

 

[ChickNLittle]

I have about 6 bronze turkey eggs in my bator right now. They are due to hatch on May 10, 2008. First time I'm doin turkeys.

According to the posts on here, I'm glad I am hatching my own. I bond with all my baby chicks the first 24 hours. They learn the sound of your voice apparently, cause when they hear my voice, boy do they respond. I hope the turkeys will do the same. If you imprint them, do they ever try to attack you in the pasture or pen?

 

[Slike]

I raise Spanish Blacks, and Lavenders as pets. We have a few slates which we will keep for breeding for new lavenders, a Beltsville (breeding also) and a bunch of Bourbon Reds.

Turkeys can make wonderful pets! They have totally different personalities from chickens from my experience, but I love both. As far as for pets, I would say get (in order of most suggested to least) Lavenders, Slates, Spanish Black, Bronze, or lastly Bourbon reds. My reasoning here: I have found that the lighter color breeds, and Lavenders / slates in particular, have the most mellow, sweet and companion-type personalities, making them lovely pets. Mine follow me around the garden while Im working

They are very curious and into whatever I'm doing, and can be pretty entertaining to watch, but they are not prying and nosey. Bronze and SB are nice, but not nearly as (commonly) sweet and people-friendly as Lavenders or Slates. Finally, Bourbon Reds are just nuts, lol. They are like the most nosey, crazy birds on crack ever. The only time they ever sit still is when they've tired themselves out from running around like mad and picking at everything in the world. I have one I actually like a lot right now, but he's pretty weird for a Bourbon tbh. He's SUPER nosey like they always are and bounces around everywhere like he's on a little pogo stick nonstop lol, but once I've got him in my hands he cuddles up to me, closes his eyes and calms down, and starts to make their little twittering "I'm happy!" sounds. He mellows out and acts almost like a Lavender when he's around me, so he is pretty special. Most of them would never chill out like he does, and this is very rare to find in one. He is proof however that the individual is more important than the breed, so if you buy adults to begin with, make sure you spend some time around them and get to know how they are.

I'll post some pictures tomorrow

Hope this helped some, if you have any questions I'd be happy to share what I know.

 

[Slike]

Quote:
The only time I ever saw one of my turks attack ANYONE was... there was this unpleasant old man who someone has called out to repair one of our solar panels that was having issues. The only way to access them is to either climb along a narrow fence 8' up on the side of a chicken coop that can barely support my 98 lbs, lol, or to go through the turkey pen. It was raining lightly and he was wearing this bright, bright orange rain jacket, and my Jethro (Lavender tom, of all things) who is normally the sweetest thing ever jumped about ten feet across the pen upon seeing him and Im pretty sure, tried to take his head off. After the guy got the tom off of him, he ran off and never came back LOL... has never happened again, and I'm pretty sure the moral of this story is don't be a stranger lumbering by in orange around turkey toms.

He has never acted aggressively to anyone he knows at all, and this was the one and only time he ever went nuts like that. He lets me play with his snood, pet his head and neck, pick him up and carry him without struggling, give him hugs, etc.. even lets me bathe him when he gets really ratty. They also don't mind my bright yellow shirt. Guess he just really didn't like that guy, can't say I blame him.

 

[Slike]

Ok, picture time!

This is where my 3 lavenders sleep at night. I am worried about predator's so at night, all of my birds go indoors into their respective pens / crates. This one has electric wiring placed all around it, because its on the ground and pretty vulnerable without. I don't like taking any chances with my birds. The white bailing twine is because of my baby emus that go in there during daylight hours... they run into the door's chicken wiring and eventually shove it open. They broke the latch yesterday, so I am on my way to go buy two new ones very shortly. As you can see, there are two different levels of perches in the back along with a hanging feeder.

This was built about 5-6 years ago before we knew much of their habits. It was made as a shelter for them in bad weather, but they'd rather sit on top of it than perch inside it, lol. The surrounding pen the three of them share is ~40'x40'. When we had more lavenders, I'd run a fence diagonally through to create two pens to keep breeding pairs in.

Another partial view of the shelter.

Jethro's lovely ladies, Ellis and SS.

Ellis in better lighting. You can see how nice the Lavender's coloring is. Very light grey, much lighter than a Slate and without the black flecks.

Here is the pen we keep our Spanish Black pair in atm. When my Slate, Bourbon, Beltsville and Bronze babies are old enough to go outside, the pen (~40'x80') will get divided into two. No built shelters in there because they have some nice bushes, almost a little jungle, to hide in. These guys come in and sleep in crates at night.

Enrique and Maria, my Spanish Blacks.

Baby pictures later after I go buy materials for a new coop and some new latches.