Do turkeys use chicken coops?

Typically, turkeys don’t need a coop like a chicken does. A lot of heritage breeds of turkeys actually prefer high roosts – you can find them settling in on barn rafters or even up in a tree. For the heavier variety of turkeys, they’ll just roost on the ground somewhere safe.

What kind of shelter do turkeys need?

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.

What is a turkey coop called?

The house is made with poles, interwoven with saplings, to form a type of structure known as a “wattle.” The structure is covered by a thatched roof made of rush gathered from local marshes. The house provides a safe place for the turkeys to roost and lay eggs.

Can turkeys eat the same food as chickens?

Turkeys cannot eat chicken feed, or at least they shouldn’t. Turkeys are larger birds than chickens and therefore require more protein in their diet. Equally, chicken feed is usually insufficient to nourish and provide all the nutrients a turkey requires for optimal health.

Do 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.

Do turkeys need a nesting box?

Nest boxes are an essential feature for laying turkey hens, and can be simply built with just a little time and effort. Turkeys are large birds, but enjoy a cozy nest, so 8 inches of nesting room is more than enough to make them feel comfortable.

Do turkeys need nesting boxes?

Can turkeys roost with chickens?

The short answer is yes, you can raise turkeys and chickens together. We have for years. We also keep geese, ducks, and guineas with our chickens in the same coop and run.

Do turkeys need coops?

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 also need a small shed for a turkey coop; an 8-by-10-foot structure is big enough to house a few birds.

Are turkeys cleaner than chickens?

It may sound counter intuitive, but turkeys are less messy in my experience than chickens. Even though turkeys are larger than chickens, and the waste load is in fact larger, I still feel like the turkey coop stays a lot cleaner than the chicken coop. Mostly that’s due to the behavior of turkeys.

Are turkeys harder to raise than chickens?

Turkeys are not that hard to raise, but they differ a bit from chickens in terms of what they need, and raising them from poults (baby turkeys) is more time- and energy-intensive than raising chickens from baby chicks.

What do turkeys nest look like?

Most turkey nests are in the woods, but within 100 feet of an opening such as a woods road, clearing, or field. The hen looks for a concealed spot with overhead cover from which she can easily watch for predators. Typical locations are depressions in thickets or beneath the branches of fallen trees.