turkeys in winter...........

[spish]

the whole summer long my turkeys have slept out in the open air along the fence lines...no shelter from the elements...come wind rain or star shine they sat out on those fence posts. but now the weather is changing and winter is drawing in i'm beginning to worry about them...will they still sit out there when its freezing? through the snow and hail??? how can i convince them to take shelter somewhere else?

 

[Frosty]

I had a building collapse under snow load last winter (late December). While moving the turkeys that were in it, one of my White Holland hens flew out and landed on the greenhouse roof. When I moved the rest of the turkeys and went to get her, she was gone. I searched for a few days, no sign. We had a lot of snow last winter, with some major blizzards and temps close to 30 below. I finally accepted that if she didn't freeze to death, predators got her. Then in late Feb a neighbor called to tell me that there was a white turkey hen in her yard. Somehow my girl found food and made it through on her own. Her weight was good and she looked very healthy.

A bigger concern is that sometimes the bunnies hunker down in the winter and owls get hungry. A Great Horned Owl will take a full sized turkey out of a tree. I keep mine locked up in the winter.

 

[zzGypsy]

must be having a silly night... I read your post title and heard a haiku...

Turkeys in winter
Snow and ice are bearing down
Come inside to roost

 

[Magic Birdie]

Quote:

 

[Lagerdogger]

Mine stay out all winter with no shelter to speak of. If its cold and windy, they will go into some trees to get out of the wind. If there is no wind and its not too cold (say above -15 F), they just stay outside in the snow, sometimes under a roof witjh no walls. Cold doesn't seem to bother them too much.