Do I need a second coop? (turkey hen won't go in at night)

[fat brown hen]

If you want to make sure they roost inside, herd them into the coop in the evening and shut them in for the night.

That sounds like a lot of work. Can I train the tom to do that for me? just the herding part, I already have an automatic door that closes at dusk.

 

[R2elk]

That sounds like a lot of work. Can I train the tom to do that for me? just the herding part, I already have an automatic door that closes at dusk.

No, the tom will not do the herding for you. Turkeys can be trained to be herded. It can take an effort at first but once they are trained they respond well.

 

[fat brown hen]

No, the tom will not do the herding for you. Turkeys can be trained to be herded. It can take an effort at first but once they are trained they respond well.

I was hoping to automate the process because I sometimes don't get home until dark.

 

[R2elk]

I was hoping to automate the process because I sometimes don't get home until dark.

Once you have them trained, they should already be in the coop before it gets dark.

 

[fat brown hen]

Once you have them trained, they should already be in the coop before it gets dark.

They recently began roosting outside after going in the coop for 6 months with no problem. Maybe they need to be retrained.

Merry Christmas!

 

[Jmcintosh23]

How tall is the inside of the coop? How high and what dimensions are the roosts?

All of my turkeys sleep outside of the coop on roosts staggered from 3' to 6' tall. Their roosts are sheltered from the prevailing wind and are made from 4" diameter corral poles.

For nesting season, the tom must not have access to the hen's nests. The tom will take the hen sitting on a nest as an invitation to breed. This undesired breeding attempt can result in broken eggs, injured hens or in the worst case, a dead hen.

I didn't know anything but my turkey doesn't like to go in at night do you think I should just let her sleep outside .. I just give her a little nudges to get her moving and she'll go in with the chickens or ducks. If I get a Tom will she go in at night with him then..?

 

[R2elk]

I didn't know anything but my turkey doesn't like to go in at night do you think I should just let her sleep outside .. I just give her a little nudges to get her moving and she'll go in with the chickens or ducks. If I get a Tom will she go in at night with him then..?

My turkeys roost outside at night. Their roosts are protected from the prevailing wind.

As long as the area the turkey roosts in is relatively predator proof, I would let it roost outside.

It depends on what your purpose for adding a tom is. If it is for companionship, add more hens. If it is to produce fertile eggs, add a tom and more hens.

Adding a tom will not make the hen go in at night.

 

[Jmcintosh23]

My turkeys roost outside at night. Their roosts are protected from the prevailing wind.

As long as the area the turkey roosts in is relatively predator proof, I would let it roost outside.

It depends on what your purpose for adding a tom is. If it is for companionship, add more hens. If it is to produce fertile eggs, add a tom and more hens.

Adding a tom will not make the hen go in at night.

O okay mine isn't protected from the winds I guess that's why I want her to go in the house, and doesn't roost she just on sits on the ground, how do I get her to roost?

 

[R2elk]

O okay mine isn't protected from the winds I guess that's why I want her to go in the house, and doesn't roost she just on sits on the ground, how do I get her to roost?

If it is a broad breasted turkey, give it a bale of hay or straw to roost on.

Heritage turkeys will naturally roost.