Turkeys?

[peepcluck]

I have six chickens, 1 1/2 years old. Two Silkies (who are not allowed in the coop at night by the others) and I am wondering if turkeys will go in a coop at night, if allowed.

 

[R2elk]

I have six chickens, 1 1/2 years old. Two Silkies (who are not allowed in the coop at night by the others) and I am wondering if turkeys will go in a coop at night, if allowed.

I have chickens and turkeys together. The chickens go into the coop at night and the turkeys go to their roosts which are outside of the coop. The only reason to put turkeys in a coop at night is to protect them from predators. My turkeys all prefer to roost outside. As long as the roost is in a sheltered area (protected from the wind) they can do fine.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I have made my turkeys go in the coop during really bad weather such a blizzard. My coop is only 8x6 and the interior is six feet tall which is not big or tall enough for them to be comfortable going in there every night. They prefer to be high and not covered. The exterior of the coop is very tall because it is a playhouse, so at its highest it is about 12' tall and I built a roost for them coming off the side at about 7' up. They used to fly up and roost on the peak of the roof but then no matter which way the wind blew they were ruffled and cold.

However, my tom was too big to fly up there and took to sleeping perched on the truck bed, which was low enough for something to get him. So, if your turkey is big and your coop not sized for them, make sure you find another way of making sure they are safe at night.

As far as the chickens are concerned, they can get along in the just fine. The main considerations are the size of the coop and manure management. The turkeys produce a LOT of waste.

 

[FarmerMac]

I have six chickens, 1 1/2 years old. Two Silkies (who are not allowed in the coop at night by the others) and I am wondering if turkeys will go in a coop at night, if allowed.

Welcome to BYC, Yes they will, depending on the breed, they may get too big to fly up to the roost pole. If you have BBB or BBW, once they mature, they won't be able to climb the ramp to the coop (if elevated) or go into the coop if the poop door is only big enough for the chickens to go in and out. If your coop has a walk in door, there should not be a problem maybe just space once they grow.