0-8 weeks: 2-2.5 square feet per turkey. 8-16 weeks: 3-4 square feet per turkey. 16-20 weeks: 5-8 square feet per turkey. 20 weeks to market weight: 6-10 square feet per turkey.
How much land do you need for a turkey?
A turkey can and does cover a lot of ground in its daily travels. Their home range varies by season and can range from 400 to 2,000 acres or more. Therefore, unless you own a large tract of land (at least several hundred acres), you do not need to provide for all of a turkey’s annual needs on your land.
What is the best housing for turkeys?
Turkeys require elevated roosting spots to spend the overnight hours, ideally with a sheltering roof to protect them from the elements. It is possible to build a single roost pen with space for several birds (a five-by-eight-foot roost will house about 20 turkeys) or you can build a set of roosts.
How tall should a turkey coop be?
Simple Turkey Shelters
The nighttime shelter that we have used successfully for several years is a six-foot-high roosting structure with multiple roosting bars and covered with a corrugated metal roof.
How long does it take for a turkey to grow to full size?
Modern production methods have shortened the time it takes for turkeys to reach maturity. A hen usually takes 14 weeks and weighs 15.5 pounds when processed, but a tom takes roughly 18 weeks to reach a market weight of 38 pounds.
Do turkeys need a lot of space?
Turkeys are social creatures, so plan on raising at least two. They are bigger birds than chickens and thus more space is required. 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.
Can turkeys free range?
Feeding on Pasture
There’s no such thing as raising a turkey on pasture only. They won’t get the protein they need to grow out. Therefore, you must continue to give them proper food and water though they’re free-ranging on your property. It’s like free-ranging chickens.
Do turkeys need a barn?
They need a lot of space
The run, the coop, the nesting boxes…they’re bigger birds, so they need more space. Unlike chickens, which can easily be housed in recycled dog houses, etc., turkeys need more room; a large shed or small barn work well. The more space you give them, the better they do.
Do turkeys need to be locked up at night?
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. Therefore, turkeys require an indoor living space that will keep them protected from all predators while they are closed in overnight.
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.
Will turkeys return to coop 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 big of a pen do you need for turkeys?
The following is the amount of coop space per turkey that will be needed: 0-8 weeks: 2-2.5 square feet per turkey. 8-16 weeks: 3-4 square feet per turkey. 16-20 weeks: 5-8 square feet per turkey.
Are turkey eggs good eating?
Turkey eggs are totally edible: Those who have backyard turkeys report their eggs taste remarkably similar to chicken eggs. They are slightly bigger, the shell slightly tougher, and the membrane between the shell and the egg slightly thicker, but otherwise, not too different.
Why is there a turkey shortage 2022?
Turkey supplies have been tight for a long time. Producers began to cut back on raising the birds back in 2019 after turkey prices crashed. Then the pandemic hit, further curtailing production.
Why are farm raised turkeys white?
The great majority of domestic turkeys are bred to have white feathers because their pin feathers are less visible when the carcass is dressed, although brown or bronze-feathered varieties are also raised.
What should you not feed turkeys?
Foods You Should Never Feed to Turkeys
- Low-quality chicken feed. Turkeys require more protein than chickens do, therefore, a simple chicken feed will not contain the nutrition that a turkey needs.
- Other Livestock Feeds.
- Dried/Raw Beans.
- Avocados.
- Fruit Pits and Seeds.
- Tomato and Eggplant Leaves.
- Raw Meat.
- Onions.
Can turkey live with chickens?
One of the main ways to keep turkeys healthy is too NOT raise chickens and turkeys together. When turkeys and chickens are raised together, turkeys run a high risk of contracting the disease histomoniasis, also known as blackhead.
Do turkeys bond with humans?
Turkeys form strong social bonds and show affection towards one another. Turkeys are gentle creatures who enjoy socializing with human companions and protecting other turkeys with whom they’ve bonded.
Are turkeys loud to raise?
Generally speaking, turkeys are quiet birds to raise and make less noise than chickens. Occasionally a turkey will gobble, which will be just as loud, if not louder, as a rooster crowing.
Will pet turkeys run away?
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! This is generally how it goes until they reach 3 months.
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.