Ya I wouldn't do more than 10 or 15 in a tractor.... bad news!
Turkey Housing
- Thread starter jaku
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #12
Thanks for the info everyone- I'll probably build another 10x10 PVC tractor, only making it 3' tall instead of 2'. I'm only going to do probably 4 birds the first year, so size won't be an issue.
Four birds in a tractor.... you will be set.
When they get to be about 7 weeks make sure the grass is a bit longer than what would be if you had the broilers in there... they will eat 8 inch blades of grass with no problem. If it's short even just 4 will tear up your yard real quick.
When they get to be about 7 weeks make sure the grass is a bit longer than what would be if you had the broilers in there... they will eat 8 inch blades of grass with no problem. If it's short even just 4 will tear up your yard real quick.
- Oct 28, 2009
- 12
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I tried turkeys for the first time this year as well. Started with 8. Had them in an old horse stall with heat lamps. I purchased 6 whites and 2 bronze from the local feed store. I than moved my birds outside when they feathred about 6-7wks old. They were housed with my layers who where 4 wks older. My outside hen/turkey/guinie house is a standard trailer with open bottom make with old catwalk and chicken wire, with a shack thats blue and yellow on top. Hen boxes outside for gathing and a door for them and me to go in. I'd shut them in a nite and let them free range during the day. I had no problems with them roosting or getting sick. And if you have apple trees there's nothing funnier that wactching turkey's run from 100 yards away to get them. They could hear an apple fall a mile a way I swear. The only problems I had is they were so stupid about standing in the rain. We had a cold summer in Aug and rained for several days. I than put the birds back in the barn till butcher day. I butchered them out at Oct 1st and Aug 20th. I ended up with 22, 21, 20,18 and 15 pounds(Dog took out a few when young) The smallest was the hen all others toms. We ate one last week, huge taste differ.
Will raise turkeys again, but looking for hertiage breeds at a fair price. I can only find them at $8.00 and up!
Will raise turkeys again, but looking for hertiage breeds at a fair price. I can only find them at $8.00 and up!
Quote:
That's pretty standard for a heritage breed poult.
So, I'd say it is fair.
That's pretty standard for a heritage breed poult.
So, I'd say it is fair.
Quote:
I raise 40 on grass this year.
I had them in tub in my kitchen until they move to a brooder in a storage building until they were 3 months old. Then to a movable hut that they are locked up in at night. It is moved once a week to new grass.
Royal Palms are pretty but not meat turkeys. Your heritage turkeys needed to be hatch in March and April for Thanksgving. Your BB turkeys June.
Remember they need the heat higher then chickens longer. Worm on a regular time, high protien diet and enjoy them.
Oh, they are better then a clock at 5:45 PM and no later then 6 PM they are landing on my car,my trees and the dog house. That their way of saying we really for bed. I go out the door saying bed turkeys,bed and they head for the pen. If you wait to long their in the trees for the night, come heck or high water.
My hut is 10 foot long and 10 foot wide with wire on all side. The front wire opens as a door. Roof tin, There are three sets of roost from saplings. There are four PVC pipe feeder on two sides. And a PVC water that run along the back. I will make some changes before I build the next six. Taller ( this one five feet tall),roost going the wide way so you can walk between the roost,two waters, siding for the west and North side. That to cut the wind. We had the tin,lumber and wire so that why it was built the way it was.
My brooders are four wide by six foot long. To wide so will cut back to three feet. They are 12 inches tall, they going to be 24 inches tall. Wire top and bottom so lights are on the outside. Dropping pen needs to be deeper then 2 inch. Thinking I like the wire only on half of it or wire in three section because they get out easy with just one lid.
I raise 40 on grass this year.
I had them in tub in my kitchen until they move to a brooder in a storage building until they were 3 months old. Then to a movable hut that they are locked up in at night. It is moved once a week to new grass.
Royal Palms are pretty but not meat turkeys. Your heritage turkeys needed to be hatch in March and April for Thanksgving. Your BB turkeys June.
Remember they need the heat higher then chickens longer. Worm on a regular time, high protien diet and enjoy them.
Oh, they are better then a clock at 5:45 PM and no later then 6 PM they are landing on my car,my trees and the dog house. That their way of saying we really for bed. I go out the door saying bed turkeys,bed and they head for the pen. If you wait to long their in the trees for the night, come heck or high water.
My hut is 10 foot long and 10 foot wide with wire on all side. The front wire opens as a door. Roof tin, There are three sets of roost from saplings. There are four PVC pipe feeder on two sides. And a PVC water that run along the back. I will make some changes before I build the next six. Taller ( this one five feet tall),roost going the wide way so you can walk between the roost,two waters, siding for the west and North side. That to cut the wind. We had the tin,lumber and wire so that why it was built the way it was.
My brooders are four wide by six foot long. To wide so will cut back to three feet. They are 12 inches tall, they going to be 24 inches tall. Wire top and bottom so lights are on the outside. Dropping pen needs to be deeper then 2 inch. Thinking I like the wire only on half of it or wire in three section because they get out easy with just one lid.
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That wouldn't work around here. There is not protection from coons,dogs or getting them to stay in the hut. They be in the trees or any place they see fit to roost.
That wouldn't work around here. There is not protection from coons,dogs or getting them to stay in the hut. They be in the trees or any place they see fit to roost.
Quote:
That's pretty standard for a heritage breed poult.
So, I'd say it is fair.
That is a fair price and you get what you pay for. You might find some cheaper but are they as good of stock and are they disease free. A heritage turkey egg goes for about $5 a eggs and hatch rates arenot great on shipped eggs. Been down that road too.
I know what I am talking about. I bought 50 from one breeder at $8 a piece then found 24 from another breeder for $6 apiece. Put 16 more of the higher dollar poults in with the 24. Death rate of first 8, three to dogs,two to getting pen under something and three to death.
The cheaper ones ALL dead and take all but 3 of the 16 higher dollar birds with them. And I spent a lot of money on vet bills , one bill alone was $100 and medicine was another $100 so the cheaper were the high cost.
That's pretty standard for a heritage breed poult.
So, I'd say it is fair.
That is a fair price and you get what you pay for. You might find some cheaper but are they as good of stock and are they disease free. A heritage turkey egg goes for about $5 a eggs and hatch rates arenot great on shipped eggs. Been down that road too.
I know what I am talking about. I bought 50 from one breeder at $8 a piece then found 24 from another breeder for $6 apiece. Put 16 more of the higher dollar poults in with the 24. Death rate of first 8, three to dogs,two to getting pen under something and three to death.
The cheaper ones ALL dead and take all but 3 of the 16 higher dollar birds with them. And I spent a lot of money on vet bills , one bill alone was $100 and medicine was another $100 so the cheaper were the high cost.
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Well the reason why is just imagine the amount of manure from the the broilers in the tractors.... times that by 50.
I have 300 BBW right now and they roam over 3 acres all day. They forage really well and have no problem eating 9 inch blades of grass. They look like like an army when they march through the fields devouring anything that looks apealing. Bugs, rats, mice, snakes, moles, flies, mosquitoes, those little tiny white field moths, grass, clover, berries, seeds... you name it they eat it.
It's funny to watch a 30 lb live turkey chase after a moth that is the size of a dime....
Good luck with them, once you get them past 8 weeks they are indestructable.... can not kill them. (Blackhead is about the only thing that seems to have a huge effect on them)
As far as a shelter, I use a couple of those ez-up tents and put a large tarp over them and make a 3 sided shelter. I put the food in there for them so the feed doesn't get wet and it gives them a place to stay out of the wind and rain. But the problem is they don't ever use it..... they will sleep outside in the rain even if it's 35 degrees outside. If I know it's going to get really nasty out I shove them in the shelter right before dark just to be on the safe side.
Feed them 24% for 8 weeks then drop them down to about 16% for the rest of the grow out. ONE BIG mistake most people do is get them too early in the season and they have things that aren't really turkeys... some get 50+ dressed weights because they get them too early. I find that July is perfect for about an 18-24 lb turkey and end of August is about a 10-14 lb turkey.
Let me know when you decide to order, I get them really cheap and may be able to get some shipped to you for around $2.50 / bird (shipped). I know a lot of hatcheries are like $4-5 bucks / bird plus shipping.
wow I paid a lot for mine this year and I agree I just let mine range, they wont sleep in their pen so I stopped hearding them into it in late september. I have seen mine chase moths it is very funny since they hobble/waddle
Well the reason why is just imagine the amount of manure from the the broilers in the tractors.... times that by 50.
I have 300 BBW right now and they roam over 3 acres all day. They forage really well and have no problem eating 9 inch blades of grass. They look like like an army when they march through the fields devouring anything that looks apealing. Bugs, rats, mice, snakes, moles, flies, mosquitoes, those little tiny white field moths, grass, clover, berries, seeds... you name it they eat it.
It's funny to watch a 30 lb live turkey chase after a moth that is the size of a dime....
Good luck with them, once you get them past 8 weeks they are indestructable.... can not kill them. (Blackhead is about the only thing that seems to have a huge effect on them)
As far as a shelter, I use a couple of those ez-up tents and put a large tarp over them and make a 3 sided shelter. I put the food in there for them so the feed doesn't get wet and it gives them a place to stay out of the wind and rain. But the problem is they don't ever use it..... they will sleep outside in the rain even if it's 35 degrees outside. If I know it's going to get really nasty out I shove them in the shelter right before dark just to be on the safe side.
Feed them 24% for 8 weeks then drop them down to about 16% for the rest of the grow out. ONE BIG mistake most people do is get them too early in the season and they have things that aren't really turkeys... some get 50+ dressed weights because they get them too early. I find that July is perfect for about an 18-24 lb turkey and end of August is about a 10-14 lb turkey.
Let me know when you decide to order, I get them really cheap and may be able to get some shipped to you for around $2.50 / bird (shipped). I know a lot of hatcheries are like $4-5 bucks / bird plus shipping.
wow I paid a lot for mine this year and I agree I just let mine range, they wont sleep in their pen so I stopped hearding them into it in late september. I have seen mine chase moths it is very funny since they hobble/waddle
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