![]() We always found them 10 to 12 feet up a tree we could not climb. I’ve lost count of the number of times we had to search for Henrietta and her daughters, Alexandra and Catherine, in the state forests surrounding our farm. On a similar note, you need fencing that is at least six feet tall. If you have stands of trees within your ranging area, you’ll probably find your flock high up in the branches. Permanent fencing provides them with a wider range and protection from local predators, while portable fencing allows you to change their paddock on a weekly or biweekly basis, allowing for pasture recovery.īear in mind that, unlike chickens, turkeys love perching up high-very high. If you plan to free-range your turkeys, consider either permanent or portable fencing (or both) for your flock. Naturally inquisitive, turkeys tend to wander pretty far, which occasionally leads to lost birds (we never did find the farm from which Henrietta originated). Turkeys are excellent foragers and happily range freely … and widely. Our turkey nest box (one per four turkey hens) measures 24 inches high by 18 inches wide by 24 inches deep. ![]() Similarly, turkey nest boxes must be large enough to provide turkey hens with the space they need to lay and brood eggs. We use a 2-by-4 with its edges sanded down, installed 2 to 3 feet off the ground. Their greater size and weight also necessitate a sturdier perch than that used by chickens. Because of their larger body mass, turkeys require more ventilation than chickens, especially during the hot summer months. For a flock of six turkeys, a 40-square-foot coop would more than suffice. Be prepared to provide your turkey flock with roomier housing than what your roosters and hens have.Įach turkey requires approximately six square feet of space from age 2 months to adult. I personally love the gray-blue plumage of the Slate and the contrast of the black bands of feathers against the white found on the Royal Palm.Įven small turkey varieties are larger than the largest standard-fowl chicken breeds. These varieties do not have the same feed conversion, growth or body size as the commercial varieties, but they are all stunning in appearance and are ideal for the hobby farmer as they tend to be more ornamental but can also serve dually as a meat bird. The American Poultry Association recognizes eight varieties of heritage turkeys, including the White Holland, Bourbon Red (shown below), Narragansett, Black, Slate, Standard Bronze, Beltsville Small White and Royal Palm. The Large White is much more popular than the Bronze because of the Bronze’s dark-colored pin feathers, which sometimes remain on the bird after processing and detract from its appearance. Small-scale farms have had success with such commercial varieties as the Broad-Breasted Bronze and the Broad-Breasted Large White (shown above), both of which grow quickly and have a high breast-meat yield. Several commercial and heritage varieties of domestic turkey exist, however. While there are dozens of breeds of domestic chicken, there is basically one breed of domestic turkey, Meleagris gallopavo, a direct descendant of the North American wild turkey. Turkeys have many of the same basic needs that chickens do, which makes adding a small flock of these all-American birds a thriftier choice than adding waterfowl or a herd of mammals.īefore you bring home a bunch of peeping poults, consider these six factors to determine whether turkeys are right for you. We’ve since had many other Royal Palms come and go, but we’ve never regretted adding these stunning domesticated fowl to our farm. Just like that, Henrietta joined our feathered family and started us on our turkey adventure. We dashed outside just as a female Royal Palm turkey hen, tail feathers in full display, strolled into view. ![]() “There’s a big chicken walking down our driveway!” he exclaimed. In the end, the decision was taken out of our hands one summer afternoon, when our youngest, Bryce, came tearing into our studio from outside. We went back and forth like that for months. My argument in favor of goats was, “Fresh milk!” Jae countered with, “5 a.m. My husband, Jae, and I discussed the pros and cons of each of these animals when we decided to add a second animal to our heritage chicken farm. If chickens are the first-tier animals, then what represents the next level?ĭucks, goats, rabbits and guinea fowl are all arguably popular choices for folks looking to expand beyond biddies. Chickens are often called the gateway livestock, the animal most hobby and small-scale farmers start with before getting more types of animals.
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