We moved 48 Narragansett turkeys to the chicken coop today. The brooder pen in the barn was just getting overcrowded! We started loosing a bird or two every day, apparently due to trampling. It seems that the max # turkey poults in this space (about 12x12) is about 100 birds. Whenever the number climbs above that we start losing a few.
Having the big ones out allowed me to remove the separation in the pen and give full space to the youngest poults again. They will be much happier and safer now! The older birds (the ones that will be ready by thanksgiving) are also doing well in one pen of hte chicken coop. We aren't going to mix the chickens and turkeys, so all the chickens are in one pen and all the turkeys in the other.
This is only a temporary situation. We purchased the lumber to build a new turkey roost today. It costs about $100 without roofing. This is going to be a new design of shelter / roost that is move able, pasturable, has feeders high enough so the sheep cant reach it has a roof, can contain young birds but lets older birds free range and roost in shelter. It will be very easy to add nest boxes next winter to keep the eggs laid in a contained spot. IF the design works, this will be the best combination coop / roost we have had yet. The old turkey hoop house will be torn apart tomorrow to reuse some of hte materials.
Stay tuned for pictures of hte build process and the design!
Follow along our adventure as we make the transition from corporate city life to the world of natural farming. Each day brings a new experience and brings us to a deeper understanding about the life and spirit that made America great. At our farm we do our best to give the animals we raise a natural, free, happy, stressfree lifestyle. Our mission is to learn and share how to manage a farming operation that is both profitable and humane.
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