theharve01
In the Brooder
Hi. I know this is a chicken forum. But most of us that keep hens get the odd turkey. This is my second year raising turkeys for xmas dinners. I have 7 this year. 5 last year.
Last year i built an elaborate perch for them to roost at night in. This year i built a nicer one. Plus i built them a standard long single height bench type perch.
I find it very difficult to get them to sleep on them at night. Every time i move the run (25sqm) to fresh grass. Maybe once every two weeks. They seem to always prefer to pick a corner in the run and pile up in that corner every night on their own mess.
If i move the simple perch over to that area. Most of them will use it. But then there is the fear that they will use the perch to hop over the fence. I dont have any predators except my own dogs. That love eating poultry.
Even in the rain they stay out at night. During the day in the rain they will stand under an open sided shelter.
I was just wondering if this is normal behaviour that people come across and is there a way to training them onto perches at night. There is only about 8 weeks to d day. But still id prefer them to perch than sit in mess. And then they have bald breasts come slaughter day. I dont like it when they are like that.
Thanks in advance and apologies on the lenght of the post.
Last year i built an elaborate perch for them to roost at night in. This year i built a nicer one. Plus i built them a standard long single height bench type perch.
I find it very difficult to get them to sleep on them at night. Every time i move the run (25sqm) to fresh grass. Maybe once every two weeks. They seem to always prefer to pick a corner in the run and pile up in that corner every night on their own mess.
If i move the simple perch over to that area. Most of them will use it. But then there is the fear that they will use the perch to hop over the fence. I dont have any predators except my own dogs. That love eating poultry.
Even in the rain they stay out at night. During the day in the rain they will stand under an open sided shelter.
I was just wondering if this is normal behaviour that people come across and is there a way to training them onto perches at night. There is only about 8 weeks to d day. But still id prefer them to perch than sit in mess. And then they have bald breasts come slaughter day. I dont like it when they are like that.
Thanks in advance and apologies on the lenght of the post.
