Turkey Coop

[LJoWilly]

New to Turkeys. I just got 2 white turkeys at the farm store..long story, but I am new to Turkeys, not new to poultry though.
I have a 20x12 foot carport that I am wanting to convert into housing for them.
In a perfect world how would you design this area? Nesting boxes? Actual coop area inside? This will be covered with predator mesch on 3 of the sides. Back wall will be walled in.
I live in Illinois, so we do have winter.
Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

[R2elk]

New to Turkeys. I just got 2 white turkeys at the farm store..long story, but I am new to Turkeys, not new to poultry though.
I have a 20x12 foot carport that I am wanting to convert into housing for them.
In a perfect world how would you design this area? Nesting boxes? Actual coop area inside? This will be covered with predator mesh on 3 of the sides. Back wall will be walled in.
I live in Illinois, so we do have winter.
Any advice greatly appreciated.

You most likely got broad breasted white turkeys meant to be processed by the time they are 6 months old.

Figure on at least 10 sq. ft. of clear floor space per adult turkey, bigger is better. They need much more room for a run. With BB turkeys you can use a bale of straw or hay as a roost. With heritage turkeys they prefer higher roosts.

Unlike chickens, turkeys are seasonal layers and hens will usually start laying in the spring of the year following the year they were hatched.

They are cold hardy. Mine went through -40°F while on their outside roosts this winter without any problems.

 

[Molpet]

I tried keeping a BBB hen for breeding with my heritage toms. She got too big to roost way before winter. She had a deep layer of straw for the winter in n IL.
The problem was we had a lot of snow and she didn't get much exercise and got too big for her feet.
I got attached to her and had to have my brother put her down at 18 months.
Keeping a BB meat bird is heartbreaking.

 

[LJoWilly]

Dang, so would you say that BBW turkeys are like the Cornish X of chickens?
With regular exercise and healthy feeding can they live longer?
Anyone have any that has lived long?

 

[R2elk]

Dang, so would you say that BBW turkeys are like the Cornish X of chickens?
With regular exercise and healthy feeding can they live longer?
Anyone have any that has lived long?

After the first few months they can be put on a reduced protein feed to slow weight gain. Early the high protein starter feed with higher levels of lysine, methionine and niacin are critical for good structural development.

Free range and exercise can help.

My hens would live about 3 years. None of mine died from natural causes so no way to know how long they would have lived. I know of a case where someone claimed to keep her BBW hen alive for 9 years. Hens have a much better chance of living longer than toms do.

 

[LJoWilly]

After the first few months they can be put on a reduced protein feed to slow weight gain. Early the high protein starter feed with higher levels of lysine, methionine and niacin are critical for good structural development.

Free range and exercise can help.

My hens would live about 3 years. None of mine died from natural causes so no way to know how long they would have lived. I know of a case where someone claimed to keep her BBW hen alive for 9 years. Hens have a much better chance of living longer than toms do.

Well, this is helpful information. Thank you!

 

[Molpet]

Dang, so would you say that BBW turkeys are like the Cornish X of chickens?
With regular exercise and healthy feeding can they live longer?
Anyone have any that has lived long?

Basically Yes
They both were developed for fast growth. . But they do breed the BB to make more BB. Where the CX are a Cross and come from other parents.