Turkeys For 2013

[Treebird]

Sure. I don't mind. The squares are not 1/4 inch that I use. I would say they are a little bigger than 1/4 inch wire. It would be closer to 1/2 inch squares maybe a hair smaller. I will take a picture and post it.

 

[Bitterroot]

Do you mind if I add to your description of rat wire Treebird? IT is a mesh type, making small squares. In comes in a couple different size squares with the smaller one using a finer wire. 1/4 inch or 1/2 inch squares as I remember. Treebird, maybe you can tell us which of these you use?

I have only brooded my turkeys on a wooden floor or plastic floor covered with sawdust. I have NOT had any foot problems in my turkeys, just that ONE pen of chickens. ( I Culled one of the roosters, as I saw the problems in his offspring; maybe need to cull a hen, too.)

I've always just called it hardware cloth? I guess depending on our backgrounds, we all have different names for the same thing.

I use a selection of those wires for my feeder rat breeding colony (several hundred rodents), which is why I asked for clarification. I'd never heard it called "rat wire". Commonly used sizes are 1/4", 1/3", and 1/2". Which would you recommend, Tree?

 

[Arielle]

Sure. I don't mind. The squares are not 1/4 inch that I use. I would say they are a little bigger than 1/4 inch wire. It would be closer to 1/2 inch squares maybe a hair smaller. I will take a picture and post it.

Could you lay a ruler or penny on the mesh for comparison?

 

[TamTurkey]

I'm nor sure about genetics in my friends case we each got 12 out of a batch of 120 and to my knowledge she's the only one who has an issue with toes. So I am pretty sure diet is the issue in her case. Mine have thick plastic covering the dirt with shavings on top. I have to clean the shavings out once every 4-5 days so if wire is a solution to that I may have to consider it for my next batch.

 

[Arielle]

I'm nor sure about genetics in my friends case we each got 12 out of a batch of 120 and to my knowledge she's the only one who has an issue with toes. So I am pretty sure diet is the issue in her case. Mine have thick plastic covering the dirt with shavings on top. I have to clean the shavings out once every 4-5 days so if wire is a solution to that I may have to consider it for my next batch.

IF you can give them a larger area, the droppings dry out. I also find the use of a heat lamp dries the shavings/poop. Plastic holds in the moisture, unpainted wood dries out the poo and shavings.

 

[TamTurkey]

The plastic is there more for temperature control and keep the ground from getting wet. They are in temporary "tents" as this was our first time and are unsure if we will do Turkey's again.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I have a friend who's turkeys toes look like they have arthritis. She tried pipe cleaners and taping then up and neither helped they are completely bent it hurts me to look st them. They are on a wood floor with shavings that get fluffed daily. Because we are raising them for show I am pretty sure she pushed their diets too hard too fast and their structures didn't have the time to keep up with their bodies. So I am with tree bird on this one. I have heard of wire floors causing broken toes if their claws get caught. I think it depends on the wire you use also.

From here on out, I am raising them on sand. I'm afraid of wire.

 

[Treebird]

Photos of turkey starter pen unit. A little messy, haven't began spring cleaning.

 

[Celie]

The girls are up to their old tricks again. Looks like they have been laying eggs a while. I was the only dummy who didn't know it.
Found 2 dozen eggs in a bush in the front yard. This is their same spot as last year.

They look like at least 3 turkey hens are using this as a nest and I find that my turkey hens always went back to their old nests as long as they could. One was always under an old wild briery blackberry bush!

Wow kuntrygirl. 24 poults running around would have been very noticeable. Sneaky girls.

What's up with my turkeys they have flies everywhere and they won't eat them. A butterflt got in and they chased it around. And played with it but didn't eat it. Guess I have squeamish birds watching grown ones play chase with a piece of kale is funny enough for me.

My turkeys don't eat flies or butterflies, but let a grasshopper or cricket come within 10 yards and it's a goner !!!

Do you mind if I add to your description of rat wire Treebird? IT is a mesh type, making small squares. In comes in a couple different size squares with the smaller one using a finer wire. 1/4 inch or 1/2 inch squares as I remember. Treebird, maybe you can tell us which of these you use?

I have only brooded my turkeys on a wooden floor or plastic floor covered with sawdust. I have NOT had any foot problems in my turkeys, just that ONE pen of chickens. ( I Culled one of the roosters, as I saw the problems in his offspring; maybe need to cull a hen, too.)

That sounds like what I know as hardware cloth. We use it in our rabbit cage floors, for the rabbit poop to fall through.

Photos of turkey starter pen unit. A little messy, haven't began spring cleaning.

Your Poult starter pen's floor look a lot like my rabbit cage flooring. I put a few in an empty rabbit cages to keep them off the ground, until they were over 8 weeks old, but it ruined their poor little feet! I raise mine now on the ground, covered with sand, until they are old enough to go out with the adults. I find Heritage Holland Whites will get bumble-feet if raised on anything hard and they get sore feet when started on hardware cloth, but Holland White are one of your largest, heaviest, Heritage breeds. It would be a lot easier to keep clean on a wire floor, but the Holland Whites go lame using it. I found out that the hard way!

 

[Treebird]

My birds have perfect feet. "Never" had a single issue with feet. Just make sure to get your birds off of the wire before they get too heavy. that particular unit in the picture is 16 ft x 8ft and divided into 3 sections. I've raised turkeys in all sorts of environments and this way has been the most successful for me. Turkeys eat pine bedding, even if they are larger chips they will pick and pick until they break off smaller pieces. They will clog up their digestive tract and I found this to be one major killer of poults. They also eat their own poop which falls through the wire. 8 weeks is too long to have them on wire, I recommend 4-5 weeks. Sand is a good option after the wire flooring. Like I said mine go strait to a dirt floor following wire bottom. One good point to remember is to keep your poults occupied with fruits, veggies, and grass to pick at so they don't eat their own poop. Digestive blockages and toxins caused by consuming their own fecal material are the number one killers of turkeys and peafowl. I say this from many years of experience. We've raised everything from swans, impeyan pheasants, geese, ducks many types of peafowl, turkeys, and everything else you can think of except for rattites.