Weird question-Can portable chicken coops be used for turkeys

[smiley]

I am thinking of getting 2 turkey chicks to raise for Holiday dinners. Will the small portable chicken type coops work? Has anyone tried any of the portable chicken coops for turkeys??

I have this coop for my chickens: http://www.horizonstructures.com/coop.asp

But, I am thinking something smaller for the turkeys as I can't afford another Horizon! So, would the Omelet series or something like that work???

Totally clueless here and turkey raisers out there!!

 

[lotzahenz]

I have no idea, but am thinking that is would work fine. My turkeys like to roost very tall, but it they didn't know better? Remember they get huge, so would need to be pretty large, but you would not need a nest box. Maybe someone on here has tried it. Sounds like a great idea to me.

 

[patandchickens]

If they will be commercial broadbreasted turkeys, as "two to raise for t'giving dinner" kind of suggests, you don't really want them roosting once they get bigger as it messes up their breastbones and breast skin when they get towards roasting-type dimensions.

You would need to make sure it's tall enough -- they are at least 3' tall and really ought to have room to stretch up and hop IMHO -- and provides enough area. I can tell you that I have two (heritage bronze, not BBW or BBB, which are bigger) turkeys that for various reasons could not be given run access for most of the winter, they are in a 6x8' pen and it is really too small to be good for them. OTOH they are certainly *alive* and commercially turkeys are given far less space (apiece, anyhow -- they still have lots of room to move around, on account of being raised in large buildings as opposed to two at a time in little pens)... so to a considerable extent it depends on what your goals and personal philosophies/standards are.

I do highly recommend turkeys though, they are wonderful (actually in most ways I like them better than chickens, shhhh

) and their main drawback is that it can be real hard to make yourself process them for the kitchen when they've become your friends!

Pat

 

[smiley]

Thank you both for your responses! I guess there are not a lot of turkey raisers here!!!

 

[smiley]

Thank you both for your responses! I guess there are not a lot of turkey raisers on here!!

Pat, thanks for the additional information as I found it very informative!!

 

[patandchickens]

There are actually LOTS of turkey people on BYC, they just don't so much hang out in this particular section of the forum -- for advice on meat-turkey tractors, go to the Meat Birds Etc section, for advice on turkey-raising in general go to the Turkeys section

Pat

 

[ourflockof4]

IMHO the best way to raise broad breasted turkeys is in a movable tractor. Brood them for 8 weeks of so then into the tractor untill process time. They poo WAY more then any chicken and I would not want to be sticking my head into a little coop to pick up huge piles of poo.

 

[smiley]

Pat, oh, gotcha!!

Our flock, yes, I wanted something moveable but I didn't know if they could fit in chicken coops? I am assuming I would have the same predator issues so I need to lock in at night?

Thanks again!