Turkey housing - pic heavy

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

One of the members sent me a PM for some pics of a range roost we use so I thought we could all jump in and show what we have and give a description of what works and what doesn't.

This is our first range roost - there are 4 nest boxes in the back. We had to put the cinder blocks in the front since the fat butt Cochins can't jump that high, the turkeys had no problems. lol It worked great for 2 years and then an owl was flying up in it and grabbing the Cochins one by one. We closed in the sides and 1/2 the front - problem solved.

Then we built a bigger one. this one has a porch roof off the front. A hanging feeder under that keeps the feed dry. We never had any looses in that one but we closed it in anyway since it is the pen the furtherest back in the woods. This one has 6 nest boxes in the back and we tried log roosts vice 2x4's. The turkeys don't seem to care either way

closed in

inside

This one is more of a house style with a porch roof

Steve

 

[KellyHM]

Very nice! My turkeys just have to make due with roosting on the top of the chicken pens, which they don't seem to mind. They nest wherever they want...generally under my carport (which has a dirt floor), although 1 nested on my back porch this year and now has 10 poults to show for it! My RP gobbler is the only one who sleeps on the ground...I think he might be too fat to roost.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

The Bronze and Beltsville's use the range roosts since there is nothing else for them to use. the hens used to go up on the roof but when the owl was hanging around I guess they realized it wasn't safe up there. The Midgets roost on the logs in front of the small house. I think the porch roof was the best idea. They can get out of the rain, the feed area stays dry.

Steve

 

[PatS]

Thank you, Steve! You two obviously put a lot of time and care into your flocks. I appreciate you posting the designs, I've been wanting to show them to my husband.

Thanks so much,
Pat

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
No problem Pat, I looked for that other post but it must be buried deep. Just get some lumber and nails before your husband comes home. Then do the cross your arms, tap your foot and have that "I want it NOW" look on your face and you are in business.

Steve

 

[PatS]

Hi Steve!

You're in the east, and I'm wondering how wet or dry your area is. We have dry summers and falls, but some years our springs are very, very wet. When this happens, the back acre of our property becomes like a wetland for a couple of months. It is an oak forest; beautiful and lush but decidedly damp. The chickens don't mind it a bit. They put on their hip waders and spend the day playing back there.

I was thinking with the more delicate turkeys, any housing would be on the south acre of our property, which stays sunny, high and dry.

From all I have read, turkeys and swamps do NOT go together, but then I noticed you might be in a hurricane zone, and thought I would check. In your pictures it looks pretty lush where you are. Is dry better than wet? Ot do adult turkeys like the puddles as much as chickens do?

I can't believe how quickly are turkeys are growing! (And how quickly they're growing on me!)

-Pat

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

In the winter and spring it's pretty wet here. All the pens are all set up in high ground and drain pretty well. Plus our soil has alot of clay in it so the rain slides off so there isn't really any standing water. I would think the drier area would be better. Our houses are all back in the woods so that really helps in the summer. The leaves give plenty of shade and in the winter they get direct sun.

Steve

 

[OmaBird]

Do you leave the chickens with the turkeys?

 

[Olive Hill]

I'm jealous of those of you who can use range roosts without incident. If I used them I might as well just fry the turkeys up and serve them with a side of mashed potatoes at a predator buffet here.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
Our range roosts are inside fenced areas so the takes care of the 4 legged predators. I never did see the owl that was feeding off the range roosts so I don't know if it was flying all the way up in after them or if the birds got scared and jumped off. The bodies were never under or close to the roost always a up against a fence like it cornered them. Since we put the sides up all that stopped.

Steve