Do Turkeys need to roost at night?

[ChickenRaunchy]

Hi all,
Apologies if this has been dealt with previously. I have a mixed flock that includes one turkey hen, 9 months old. She is the leader of the pack, mostly based on size. She has always hopped up onto the top roost plank but recently is showing signs that the roost is wrong for her. She has many broken tail feathers and when I watch her trying to get down in the a.m., she looks like a "stop, drop and roll" demonstration. And it's still winter here, but she has lost most of her underbelly feathers. Other than these signs, she is healthy, laying about an egg a day, but I am concerned for her. I think she is bonded with the other birds and will not be accepting being separated. Other thoughts about protecting her from the big leap every morning?

 

[R2elk]

Hi all,
Apologies if this has been dealt with previously. I have a mixed flock that includes one turkey hen, 9 months old. She is the leader of the pack, mostly based on size. She has always hopped up onto the top roost plank but recently is showing signs that the roost is wrong for her. She has many broken tail feathers and when I watch her trying to get down in the a.m., she looks like a "stop, drop and roll" demonstration. And it's still winter here, but she has lost most of her underbelly feathers. Other than these signs, she is healthy, laying about an egg a day, but I am concerned for her. I think she is bonded with the other birds and will not be accepting being separated. Other thoughts about protecting her from the big leap every morning?

If your turkey is a broad breasted turkey she needs to not be up on a roost. Broad breasted turkeys do better with a bale of straw or hay as a roost.

Breaking the tail feathers is a sign that the turkey is being kept in too small of an area. Constant brushing of walls and fences will damage tail feathers.

 

[Molpet]

Is she a BB meat bird? They have lots of leg and heart problems because they are meant to be harvested around 16 weeks
A bale of straw could be a roost for her.
Heritage turkey can fly up.
Both need room to get down.