Planning on Turkeys in may..this is what i have so far

[Hedgeland Farms]

Good morning!
So I am planning 6 turkeys for may. I am planning a 96 sq foot coop 12×8 abt 8foot tall, and a 25ft by 25 ft run (625sq foot) I am planning 2 broad breast turkeys and 4 heritage (to keep and live happy lives, I hope I understand correctly that they can live long lives)

Planning on an 8ft roost close to the ground, and 2 8 foot roosts up towards the ceiling.

Help a girl out, does this sound like a decent start?


What else am I missing to get started on their living quarters?

 

[Huntmaster]

Heritage turkeys can and do live long healthy lives compared to broad breasted. My years of experience with Heritage varieties is they prefer to roost outdoors. All my roosts for my birds are open roosts just protected from heavy winds. When I first started raising turkeys, I had a coop ready for them and couldn't get them to use it. Then converted it to a 3-sided open front just for roosting and they still preferred to roost outside driving me crazy trying to get them in in eve and very few using it no matter what the weather was. Now I just make large open predator proof pens/runs with open roosts protected from heavy winds and free range in large pasture. A few pics of how I raise my birds to give you some ideas of what they prefer. Any questions glad to help.

 

[R2elk]

Do my roosts for the heritage breeds NEED to be high off the ground or just some roosts will do??

I thought I had read they like to roost 6ft off the ground is that accurate??

They will roost as high as they can get including 20' up in a tree or on top of a building.

My roosts are at staggered heights from 3' to 6' tall. A bale of hay or straw is sufficient for BBs.

 

[My Bagurks]

It sounds like you’ve got it all figured out. I’ve known people that kept turkeys very successfully with a minimal coops well. They’re pretty cold hardy.

Whenever I get new chicks, I set up a brooder on the back porch. I recently tried two turkeys to have for thanksgiving, but a snake killed both. First issue I ever had from a snake. I’m not sure if it had anything to do with the turkeys themselves or anything, but it’s never happened before. Make sure they’re extra secure until they’re big enough that snakes won’t be an issue.

And as far as long happy lives. A woman down the street from me keeps turkeys. When it’s warm enough, she’s often seen sitting in her yard and the two big male turkeys walk right up to her for hugs. They are her pets and she’s had them for years. So good luck.

 

[Beccatrix]

We have started building "The Turkey Tower." It will actually only be a bit over 64sq ft. The right side..with the front wall will have a wind block and roosts will go at abt 6ft height and maybe some a bit lower.

I am only planning on 4 heritage turkeys now. Run is measured out and still 625sq ft.

Plans are to harvest 2 for Thanksgiving...(when should I start looking for heritage turkeys if I wanna harvest close to Thanksgiving? I know they grow slower than the BB turkeys.) Then we will leave 2 as pets.

Likely adding in 2 more the following yr to harvest again...(is that dumb?? Will I be able to integrate new birds each yr??)

Should I buy 6 if I want to keep 4??

We will have to put netting over the top of the run, much like we did the chicken coop. Too many preditors as well as tempting fields full of yummies that don't belong to us lol

Any advice is welcome!
Thanks guys!

You might want to consider keeping 2 toms and 2-3 hens overwinter, in addition to your holiday birds. Then you'll have a backup male if there are health or fertility issues, and can create a breeding trio for new poults. I'm learning some people process the extra male in spring and others just separate them. Since they're ordered straight run, I'd go for 8 and hope you get close to 50/50. Process your extras. My mid May birds will be ready about early December it seems.

We're processing 3 toms, keeping 2, and have 8 breeding hens. We're going for holiday meals as well as about 3 lbs of ground turkey/week.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

My years of experience with Heritage varieties is they prefer to roost outdoors. All my roosts for my birds are open roosts just protected from heavy winds. When I first started raising turkeys, I had a coop ready for them and couldn't get them to use it. Then converted it to a 3-sided open front just for roosting and they still preferred to roost outside

thanks so much!
My plan is a 3 sided coop, with a half of a wall on the front for a wind block if that makes sense?!

I had done some reading that stated turkeys do great during cold, which ours isn't too harsh

Eta...your birds are lovely!

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

Added some more to the turkey tower yesterday. Myself and the minors will continue to work on it today. Hubby has been tasked to help me with the roof lol

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I am concerned about the structural integrity of your pallet shed/enclosure, from what I can see in the photos.

First, I don't see any vertical structural posts/boards to hold everything upright. Screws or bolting them together aren't enough. A good high wind or bad thunderstorm will bring it down. Adding the boards to close gaps just makes them like a sail. A darn heavy sail, but still...
Second, the pallet edges are sitting directly on the ground. They WILL rot out within a year or two, further weakening your structure.

What I would do, at this point without dismantling and starting over: Put some flat patio blocks or flagstones under the edges of the structure at each joint. You can use a long pry-bar or stiff pipe to make a lever, and lever it up a few inches. Slide a stone under. Or, dig underneath the edge - all the way around - enough to slip stones underneath at the joints and corners. (Fill the gap with gravel after you install the hardware cloth.) Then add a 4x4 post (or two 2x4's screwed together) inside each corner, sunk into the ground 18-24". Use pressure-treated lumber so it won't rot.

At the very least, you could give it some better wind resistance by adding a piece of lumber, 3' or 4' long at each corner - attached to your top rail, at an angle crossing the corner and attached to each side. I'd probably add a shorter piece at the mid-point of each corner, too.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

It sounds like you’ve got it all figured out. I’ve known people that kept turkeys very successfully with a minimal coops well. They’re pretty cold hardy.

Whenever I get new chicks, I set up a brooder on the back porch. I recently tried two turkeys to have for thanksgiving, but a snake killed both. First issue I ever had from a snake. I’m not sure if it had anything to do with the turkeys themselves or anything, but it’s never happened before. Make sure they’re extra secure until they’re big enough that snakes won’t be an issue.

And as far as long happy lives. A woman down the street from me keeps turkeys. When it’s warm enough, she’s often seen sitting in her yard and the two big male turkeys walk right up to her for hugs. They are her pets and she’s had them for years. So good luck.

Thanks so much for your reply!!!

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

Do my roosts for the heritage breeds NEED to be high off the ground or just some roosts will do??

I thought I had read they like to roost 6ft off the ground is that accurate??