Smelly turkeys!

[RichmondHens]

It's that time of year again. Poults in the brooder, eating their heads off and growing ++, and pooping ++ as well! Yesterday I cleaned them out 4 times! In this weather the brooder "room" is really quite warm but I have to keep the door shut for security. I did crank the window open a little yesterday and left it ajar last night but by 7 am things were rather pongy again. Can't wait to get them out on the grass!

 

[bigyetiman]

If only someone could engineer chickens and turkeys that only poop once a day, I would be at the head of the queue for hens. How long before they can go out as I am not familiar with turkeys

 

[RichmondHens]

They go out as soon as they don't need heat, at 5 -6 weeks. My bigger ones (3+ weeks) are off heat during the day but still under at night, the smaller ones (2 weeks) are still on heat 24/7.

I aim for fully feathered coinciding with a warm spell then they go out and don't come back in! But young turkeys can chill in heavy rain so I do shut them in a shed at night if it's wet. Once they are pretty much fully grown they can sit out in all weathers, and in fact prefer to do so as long as they can perch on something rather than sit on the ground. In times past I have found turkeys on snowy mornings with piles of snow on their backs, perfectly happy and amazingly warm underneath.

 

[bigyetiman]

Thanks for that RH, being a native of North America I guess they can withstand extremely cold temperatures. I once rounded a corner and found a turkey at a bus stop. Didn't want my bus though

 

[RichmondHens]

Good grief BYM, had it been dumped or just escaped?

My turkeys are all out now - yippee - no more smelly brooders!

 

[bigyetiman]

I don't know I was doing rail replacement work, it was in a rural spot in Herts. So it had possibly come from a field, it was nowhere to be seen on return journey, and i couldn't see what was behind the hedge.

 

[Birgit]

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