Turkey Addition Help and Request

[lintlicker]

Hello all and welcome!

Looking for a little help. Currently, we have a 10'X18' chicken coop for 40 birds (2 Roosters and 38 Hens) and a small duck house next to the chicken coop and small tub for our 6 ducks all sitting inside a 50'x50' chicken run. Our chicken run is accessible to the chickens and ducks and secured by 4x4 treated posts with 2x4 welded wire buried 1.5' and about 6' tall with 1/2"x1/2" welded black wire over the top of that as well and 3 strands of electric wire running on the outside of that...my wife didn't want to take any chances lol. We live in Central New York and there are some hawks and coyotes around but haven't lost anything yet. The run is covered with 25 lb. bright yellow braided fishing line interwoven over the top of the whole run every 12" and we haven't had anything attempt to come in from the top, hawks simply fly overhead and keep it moving. The entire run is 50'x50' and we are going to allow them to "free range" outside the chicken run in our yard and woods within the next few months ONLY while we are home or in the yard working to keep an eye on everyone.

So this is the reason why I am posting. we've decided we might try to venture out and add 2 turkeys to our flock...a heritage breed or Narragansett turkey poults...hoping for a Tom and Hen.

What type of enclosure "should" I have for the turkeys? Assuming they will want to stay in there and not try to fly out...any advice would be greatly appreciated. I would prefer to not house the chickens and turkeys together.

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[oldhenlikesdogs]

Turkeys are best house by themselves. You will need at least a 3 side shed with roosts, and attached run. Heritage turkeys can fly out, so be sure to cover the run or keep wings clipped. The younger poults can be good at escaping, and need multiple wing clippings as they grow. Turkey needs are fairly simple. The only predators I've had troubles with is raccoons and owls.

 

[GardenGrandmaRN]

Turkeys are best house by themselves. You will need at least a 3 side shed with roosts, and attached run. Heritage turkeys can fly out, so be sure to cover the run or keep wings clipped. The younger poults can be good at escaping, and need multiple wing clippings as they grow. Turkey needs are fairly simple. The only predators I've had troubles with is raccoons and owls.

The only thing I would add, is depending on how old the turkeys are when you get them, they may need protection from snakes. In our coop, we have an area about 8' x 4' that is big enough for our Ohio brooder and is lined 4 sides and top with 1/4" hardware cloth. My hubby laughed at me too, and calls it Fort Knox, but we had a big black snake test it and no losses.