Turkeys For 2013

[Sally8]

Someone mentioned and I can't find the post about making sure the brooder is clean at all times. I will add that as well to the care sheet. I'm not sure how you all clean your brooders but I don't use any chemicals. I pick up the towels and wash them in water and vinegar and put more clean towels down. I will bring the brooder outside and turn it over and sweep out and scrape any poop or feed that may have fallen under the towels. Other than that, no chemicals are used in the brooder for fear of harming and killing the poults.

How often does anyone clean their brooder? I can clean it one evening and by morning it's a mess. At this point I have to use newspaper. I'm trying to figure out how to use the pine chips without them getting absolutely everywhere.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I figured I'd speak up since I'm joining the ranks of the turkey raisers this year.  We moved to a small 3-acre property last year and started with chickens - after a pretty successful year of raising chickens I decided to try Turkeys out this year. 

I currently have 4 Narragansett turkeys that are about 3.5 months old (acquired from another BYC member) and next week I'm getting another shipment of day-old turkey poults from Meyer Hatchery including 6 more narragansetts and 9 of their "rare turkey assortment".

Currently trying to figure out the best way to contain and house them...

R-

Congrats. Sounds like you will be BUSY BUSY BUSY. Please post pics of your birds if you can. We would love to see what you have.

How much area do you have over there? Any predator problems?

 

[kuntrygirl]

Someone mentioned and I can't find the post about making sure the brooder is clean at all times. I will add that as well to the care sheet. I'm not sure how you all clean your brooders but I don't use any chemicals. I pick up the towels and wash them in water and vinegar and put more clean towels down. I will bring the brooder outside and turn it over and sweep out and scrape any poop or feed that may have fallen under the towels. Other than that, no chemicals are used in the brooder for fear of harming and killing the poults.

How often does anyone clean their brooder?  I can clean it one evening and by morning it's a mess.  At this point I have to use newspaper.  I'm trying to figure out how to use the pine chips without them getting absolutely everywhere.

To be honest, my brooders really don't get that messy. When the poults are small, they have small poop. They have crumble on the floor of the brooder but they eat a lot of that up. I try to clean my brooder out a few times a day. My biggest problem is the poop after a few days. I keep a stash full of old towels and all I do is remove the towel that is in there, shake off the poop outside and put in a new towels. The floor and the walls of the brooder don't get dirty. Realistly, we can all expect mess. I think when it gets to the point of smelling and the poults have crap dried up on their feet (oh, that triggered something else on the care sheet that I have to insert), it's time to clean it up.

As far as pine chips, I'm so afraid of using any kind of chips or bedding. It's just my paranoid behavior. I'm afraid they will die but I know that a lot of the chips and bedding is safe for them.

 

[Bettacreek]

I use papertowels for the first days. I had a strong and healthy poult die the first day from choking on bedding. I now prefer wire. Paper towels are okay, but quickly cause poopy feet. Two days of no cleaning makes for a very disgusting brooder. Wire makes for clean feet.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I use papertowels for the first days. I had a strong and healthy poult die the first day from choking on bedding. I now prefer wire. Paper towels are okay, but quickly cause poopy feet. Two days of no cleaning makes for a very disgusting brooder. Wire makes for clean feet.

Just a word of caution, please be careful if you are raising them on wire. I put a lone poult on wire that last year and the wired caused his toes to be crooked. Wire does not agree with my poult's feet and toes. :/

 

[ShelterFarm]

How much area do you have over there? Any predator problems?

We have 3 acres total - including some wooded area and a small pond. We've experienced a few losses, but that was when some of the chickens were younger and we're pretty sure that hawks had grabbed them when they wandered away from the group (they were entirely free-ranging - no fences at all). Sometimes we found a feather explosion, and other times the bird just vanished. Recently I built a 40'x80' fenced in area with 2"x4" horse fencing and since then we've seen nothing. Others in my area have experienced coyotes, but we're surrounded by about 100 acres of field and I think they're too shy to come across the field to investigate - I've never seen evidence of them at least. I have two acres that will be easy to fence in - and my plan is to built a semi-portable shelter that I can move around.

 

[Sally8]

Those were all good examples and arguments. I have 7 poults ranging from 2 to 6 weeks in an extra large dog crate. I start out with newspaper and then tried the pine chips but they scattered them all over the bathroom floor. Now we are back to newspaper. I was afraid since paper towels are absorbent, they could swell in their stomach's. Can't wait until they are out of the bathroom. I have an incubator full of 50 chicken eggs ready to hatch tomorrow and turkey eggs hatching all the time. My grandson said to me yesterday, "Mama Sue, remember when I used to take a shower where those chicks are?" (He's 5)

 

[Bettacreek]

Just a word of caution, please be careful if you are raising them on wire. I put a lone poult on wire that last year and the wired caused his toes to be crooked. Wire does not agree with my poult's feet and toes. :/

Mine are doing great on it. I wouldn't put them on it too early or keep them on it for too long, but for now they're still at a good age for wire.

 

[kuntrygirl]

How much area do you have over there? Any predator problems?

We have 3 acres total - including some wooded area and a small pond. We've experienced a few losses, but that was when some of the chickens were younger and we're pretty sure that hawks had grabbed them when they wandered away from the group (they were entirely free-ranging - no fences at all).  Sometimes we found a feather explosion, and other times the bird just vanished.  Recently I built a 40'x80' fenced in area with 2"x4" horse fencing and since then we've seen nothing.  Others in my area have experienced coyotes, but we're surrounded by about 100 acres of field and I think they're too shy to come across the field to investigate - I've never seen evidence of them at least.  I have two acres that will be easy to fence in - and my plan is to built a semi-portable shelter that I can move around.

You have a nice area over there. I'm sooooooooo jealous. Your turkeys will love it out there. Please post pics of your progress.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Just a word of caution, please be careful if you are raising them on wire. I put a lone poult on wire that last year and the wired caused his toes to be crooked. Wire does not agree with my poult's feet and toes. :/

Mine are doing great on it. I wouldn't put them on it too early or keep them on it for too long, but for now they're still at a good age for wire.

I'm glad to hear that yours are doing ok on it.

What type of wire do you use? Maybe the wire I used was too rough.