Turkey Pen…Safety

[PolloGal]

We are in the process of preparing an area for our turkeys and trying to keep control of costs. Our pasture area is about 50’ wide and there is a 5 wire electric fence around all of the area about 5’ tall. I want to have a safe place for them to live. They are pets to me. I don’t want them to get zapped by the electric fencing, so we were thinking of putting two strands of barbed wire at the bottom… Maybe one about a foot off the ground and another about 2 feet above that. The barbed wire will stick out INTO the pen about 3 inches which will keep them from touching the electric fencing And also provide additional predator proofing. (We have coyote, bear, raccoons, etc). Then we plan on running poultry netting as a roof About 50’ across. We are going to attach the poultry netting to the top of the electric fence poles on one side, support it in the middle so there’s height, and attach it on the other side to some metal posts - where the poultry netting will run all the way to the ground. We will use calf hutches as roosts by raising them onto platforms and attaching them to a wood flooring and adding doors to the hutches for nighttime. (We are thinking that 100’ long would be enough for them…maybe starting with 12 poults). Is this safe enough To keep anything from happening to them? I look at my turkey poults (3 weeks in my brooder) and just cannot imagine these little ones being safe running around out there like that. Any ideas are appreciated…pictures would be awesome!

 

[R2elk]

We are in the process of preparing an area for our turkeys and trying to keep control of costs. Our pasture area is about 50’ wide and there is a 5 wire electric fence around all of the area about 5’ tall. I want to have a safe place for them to live. They are pets to me. I don’t want them to get zapped by the electric fencing, so we were thinking of putting two strands of barbed wire at the bottom… Maybe one about a foot off the ground and another about 2 feet above that. The barbed wire will stick out INTO the pen about 3 inches which will keep them from touching the electric fencing And also provide additional predator proofing. (We have coyote, bear, raccoons, etc). Then we plan on running poultry netting as a roof About 50’ across. We are going to attach the poultry netting to the top of the electric fence poles on one side, support it in the middle so there’s height, and attach it on the other side to some metal posts - where the poultry netting will run all the way to the ground. We will use calf hutches as roosts by raising them onto platforms and attaching them to a wood flooring and adding doors to the hutches for nighttime. (We are thinking that 100’ long would be enough for them…maybe starting with 12 poults). Is this safe enough To keep anything from happening to them? I look at my turkey poults (3 weeks in my brooder) and just cannot imagine these little ones being safe running around out there like that. Any ideas are appreciated.

I would not put the barbed wire up. It could cause a young turkey to get trapped between the electric fence and the barbed wire. They will learn to avoid the electric fence.

I would not plan on keeping anymore than 8 adult turkeys in a 50' x 100' pen.

Check out @Huntmaster's set up to see how to manage flight netting so it doesn't collapse during a snowstorm.

Revise your idea of what are appealing roosts for turkeys. My turkeys roost outside on 4" diameter corral posts set at staggered heights from 3' to 6' high. They are sheltered from the prevalent wind but do not have a roof overhead.

They do need shade available that they can use as they desire.

 

[PolloGal]

I would not put the barbed wire up. It could cause a young turkey to get trapped between the electric fence and the barbed wire. They will learn to avoid the electric fence.

I would not plan on keeping anymore than 8 adult turkeys in a 50' x 100' pen.

Check out @Huntmaster's set up to see how to manage flight netting so it doesn't collapse during a snowstorm.

Revise your idea of what are appealing roosts for turkeys. My turkeys roost outside on 4" diameter corral posts set at staggered heights from 3' to 6' high. They are sheltered from the prevalent wind but do not have a roof overhead.

They do need shade available that they can use as they desire.

Yea…didn’t think about a little one getting caught between the fencing. I guess I was more thinking that they wouldn’t be in there unless adults…but anything can change. Thanks for the site…will check it out!

 

[R2elk]

Yea…didn’t think about a little one getting caught between the fencing. I guess I was more thinking that they wouldn’t be in there unless adults…but anything can change. Thanks for the site…will check it out!

Even as adults they can get their heads and necks in there.

 

[PolloGal]

Even as adults they can get their heads and necks in there.