Housing turkeys is no different than housing chickens, they just need to have a little extra room. The turkeys should have a fenced area to help protect from predators as well as an in closed shelter to go into at night to help protect against predators.
Do turkeys need an enclosure?
If you plan to raise your turkeys from poults, then the answer to “Do turkeys need a coop?” is a resounding yes. Once the poults outgrow their brooder, they will need a secure coop at night, just like any other type of poultry.
Will turkeys stay in a fenced yard?
The fencing should always be flush to the ground and sturdy so that the turkeys are protected from predators such as fox, raccoons, weasels and neighborhood dogs. You can also trim the wing of their feathers of rogue flyers, as most turkeys will probably stay in the fenced in pen happily unless something disturbs them.
Can turkeys roam free?
Keep an eye on them, they will tend to stay around home base, but may wander due to their curious nature and herd mentality. If they see you, they will most likely run to you, and follow you around, so be careful of leading them to your garden area!
What kind of fencing do turkeys need?
In a pen environment, topping the fence with netting will protect the birds and prevent escape. For temporary fencing in a range pasture setting, you can use electric poultry netting. If you want to build a more permanent enclosure, use woven-wire fencing and metal T-posts or wooden posts.
Do turkeys need to be locked up at night?
Turkeys are very vulnerable to predation, especially overnight. Because of this, turkeys must be closed into their indoor space before dusk and should not be let out again until the sun is coming up in the morning.
Do turkeys put themselves away at night?
Turkeys will roost anywhere except where you want them to.
They would go in the coop at night with no problems and roost with the chickens.
How do you keep turkeys from flying away?
Because turkeys are able to fly, those birds have been confined to the caged yard. We wanted to allow them free range in the fenced-in grassy area. However, because it has an open top, the turkeys would be able to fly away. Clipping the wings, a painless procedure, prevents the birds from taking flight.
How do I keep pet turkeys in my yard?
Provide a roosting area if possible. Keep them inside at night to provide more control over parasites and keep them safe from predators. Turkeys are social birds, so plan to spend time with them while you’re outside. Allow one square foot of space for the young birds, up until they’re two months of age.
How do you protect turkeys from predators?
Most of the common predators for turkeys are nocturnal. Enclosing the birds in predator-proof enclosures around the clock or locking free-ranging birds in a house every evening effectively reduces or eliminates losses.
Do pet turkeys fly away?
Here’s where it gets complicated: while wild turkeys can zoom at their leisure, the turkeys we eat at Thanksgiving — you know, the domesticated kind — cannot fly. Why? For one thing, farmers have bred them over time to have very large breasts, which makes them better for eating.
Are turkeys good for your yard?
The birds eat many pesky insects, and a flock of turkeys nearby can be ideal pest control for a yard. Turkeys are also beloved for their association with the Thanksgiving holiday.
Are turkeys cleaner than chickens?
It may sound counter intuitive, but turkeys are less messy in my experience than chickens. Even though turkeys are larger than chickens, and the waste load is in fact larger, I still feel like the turkey coop stays a lot cleaner than the chicken coop. Mostly that’s due to the behavior of turkeys.
What do turkeys need in a coop?
You’ll need a minimum of 25 square feet of outdoor space per bird for them to exercise, with predator-proof fencing on all sides, as well as overhead. You’ll also need a small shed for a turkey coop; an 8-by-10-foot structure is big enough to house a few birds.
Do turkeys need a nesting box?
Turkeys are fairly easy animals to raise, requiring nothing more than food, water and simple shelter to thrive. Nest boxes are an essential feature for laying turkey hens, and can be simply built with just a little time and effort.
How many turkeys can you have per acre?
Space: A good-quality habitat will support one bird per 30 acres (one flock per 640 to 800 acres). But because turkeys need a lot of living space, they may not remain on your property year-round unless it’s 1,000 acres or more.
Are turkeys OK in the rain?
Turkeys will not drown if they look up during a rainstorm. The habit of turkeys that involves looking to the sky when it rains is caused by a genetic condition, and this phenomenon does not kill them. While looking up during a rainstorm will not kill turkeys, you should still shelter them to avoid them dying of cold.
Do turkeys need shelter from rain?
Although feathers guard against rain, turkeys still tend to seek shelter during heavy downpours. Once the weather calms and the sun peeks out, however, toms will resume gobbling, strutting, and seeking hens in open fields with short grasses. They’d prefer not to drag their feathers along the wet, muddy ground.
How cold can turkeys tolerate?
Turkeys are overall hardy animals, meaning they are able to withstand low temperatures (below 20°F) for periods of time.
Can turkeys sleep with chickens?
In reality, there is more than one answer to this question and a few factors to consider. The short answer is yes, you can raise turkeys and chickens together. We have for years. We also keep geese, ducks, and guineas with our chickens in the same coop and run.
Can a chicken and a turkey mate?
There have been attempted crosses between domestic turkeys (Meleagris gallapavo) and chickens. According to Gray, no hybrids hatched in twelve studies. Other reports found only a few fertile eggs were produced and very few resulted in advance embryos.