Turkey barn - requirements, perches and feeders, ventilation, pen.

Keeping turkey poults

Some poultry farmers buy turkey poults, while others simply place eggs under the hen or use an incubator. But in any case, the chicks need to be provided with maximum comfort - then the mortality rate is reduced to a minimum.

Brooder, description

Turkeys in nests

In the first days of life, birds have weak body thermoregulation, so they must always be warm. A drop in temperature leads to illness and death of young animals. So, there is no way to do without a brooder.

If the reader decides to make a brooder for turkey poults with his own hands, drawings and dimensions will not be needed - the place where the chickens were raised will be quite suitable. You just need to remember that there should be at least 60-80 square centimeters per chick.

The optimal temperature is +37 degrees with a humidity of 70-75%. In such conditions they grow quickly and feel great.

Walking area for chicks

It is also advisable to make a platform where the stronger chicks can walk. Essentially, this is a small pen in which the turkey poults will feel more spacious than in a brooder. It is advisable to release them outside no earlier than at the age of two weeks. Per square meter - no more than 5-7 birds.

Important! During the first month of life, turkey poults need to be provided with at least 16 hours of daylight. It is built in the same way as an aviary - the timber frame is covered with mesh

But it is better to close the platform from above so that the chicks do not become victims of cats or birds of prey

It is built in the same way as an aviary - a timber frame covered with mesh. But it is better to close the platform from above, so that the chicks do not become victims of cats or birds of prey.

Where to build on the site

It is important not only what the poultry house will be like, but also where it will be located.

If it is possible to choose a place for construction, then preference should be given to a site that:

located in a sufficiently lit place, since it is unacceptable to build a barn in places of constant darkness;
is located on a hill or on a piece of land where groundwater runs quite deep;
has a large area, which is enough to build the poultry house itself and a special walking area for birds;
located far from various outbuildings: garages, bathhouses, summer kitchen.

Experts also recommend choosing a site with a reserve so that in the future, when raising more birds, you can complete the turkey poultry farm.

What should be in the barn

The interior should also be equipped for the birds to live comfortably. Here you need to install the following devices:

feed containers;
drinking bowls;
perches;
nesting houses;
ash baths;
containers for shell rock and gravel.

It is worth considering all of these aspects in more detail.

There are several types of feed containers:

small troughs;
grooved structures.

When choosing one option or another, take into account the dimensions of the bird and their height. Feeders are placed at the level of the turkeys' dorsal region. For more rational use, it is necessary to pour food into the container to 1/3 of the total height.

Compound feed is usually given from bunker-type feeders, which are designed for several feedings.

Containers for gravel and other mineral fertilizers are located at a height of about 40 cm from the floor. Add the necessary additives as needed. It is recommended to leave such containers freely available.

Making a separate container for wet mash is not entirely advisable. To save effort and time, it is enough to divide the trough feeder into several compartments with partitions, into which certain types of feed will be poured.

There are a huge number of options for drinking bowls, regardless of the chosen container, it is best placed at the level of the turkey’s neck. To maintain cleanliness in the premises, the drinking bowls are covered with a net so that the birds have no problems getting to the water. The net will serve as a kind of protection against the desire of birds to climb completely into the drinking bowl.

Drinking bowl

With the correct placement of containers for food and water, the turkey house will always be clean and dry, and therefore the owner will not have to spend a lot of time cleaning the room.

Perches are necessary for turkeys to rest and sleep: they are installed in such a way that there is at least 50 cm of perch per bird. The main criteria here are the strength of the sticks and their removal of possible burrs. Perches are installed in the warmest part of the house.

When arranging perches, preference should be given to removable structures that can be easily dismantled during general cleaning.

The lower bars are installed at a height of at least 80 cm from the flooring; the upper bars should not reach the ceilings at the same height. Most often they make a pyramidal version, which saves space in the poultry house. Additional trays are installed under the perches to collect natural waste from birds. This serves as an additional measure to maintain cleanliness in the room.

Nesting houses provide certain conveniences for both bird owners and turkeys. The females will have a place to lay their eggs, and the farm owner will not have to walk around the entire premises to collect egg products.

Turkey nest

The role of nests is given to wooden boxes that are suitable in size for the birds. The number of houses is calculated based on the number of females. As a rule, one nest is required for 5 laying hens, which is best installed in a dark place in the house

The most important requirement for a design is that it is safe for turkeys.

Ash baths help birds keep their plumage clean. In the summer, you can do without this - it will be enough for the turkeys to take dry baths in the yard. But with the onset of cold weather, it is worth taking care of the presence of wooden boxes with small sides, which must be filled with a sand-ash mixture. This method reliably protects turkeys from the appearance of skin and feather parasites.

We build with our own hands

Construction work for the construction of a turkey poultry barn is standard and corresponds to the construction of any premises for utility purposes. Before starting work, you need to prepare a design project indicating all dimensions. Then the building material is selected and an estimate is drawn up. Next, everything necessary for construction is purchased and tools are prepared.

Materials

The choice of material depends on the service life of the structure and the financial capabilities of the poultry farmer. The following materials can be used to build a turkey poultry house:

tree;
brick;
aerated concrete blocks.

Wood is considered the most inexpensive and environmentally friendly material. In addition, the construction of a wooden structure does not require professional mason skills and it can be made independently. A structure made of brick or aerated concrete blocks is more durable, but is built slowly and requires experience.

Tools

When building a turkey poultry house, you will need the usual set of construction tools:

tape measure and level;
shovel;
Master OK;
hammer;
drill;
screwdrivers.

For interior work, you may need a wood hacksaw, plane, chisel, pliers and wire cutters. To connect wooden structures, nails, screws, self-tapping screws and a metal corner are used.

Work plan

All work on the construction of a poultry house for turkeys is divided into several successive stages:

laying the foundation;
walling;
roof installation;
installation of doors and windows;
floor production;
external and internal finishing;
equipment installation;
construction of an enclosure for walking.

It is better to start construction in late spring, when the soil has dried well and the weather is warm and sunny.

Step-by-step construction

The basis of any capital structure is the foundation. A ribbon design is suitable for turkey poultry. First, according to the size of the structure, a trench with a width of 50 cm is dug and a cushion of sand and gravel is laid. Then the formwork is installed, which should be 15-20 cm above the ground level. If the structure is small, then a columnar foundation can be made. After the solution has completely hardened, you can begin building the walls. For self-construction, a wooden frame structure is best suited.

Load-bearing beams made of profiled timber are laid on the foundation, on top of roofing felt. Next, the frame of the structure is assembled using metal fasteners. The walls along the frame are covered with clapboard, taking into account door and window openings. The space between the inner and outer walls is filled with insulation. Mineral wool is usually used for this purpose. The brick building is erected in one row, also taking into account the openings. The walls should be insulated with sheets of polystyrene foam or extruded polystyrene. When installing the roof, a vapor barrier is placed under the insulation. The floor can be laid with boards or a cement screed.

After completion of construction work, the finished structure should be thoroughly dried using an electric heater.

Ventilation

The turkey does not like extreme heat, but the cold will not do it any good either. In addition, the turkey is very sensitive to drafts, from which it gets sick very easily. Therefore, to maintain optimal temperature conditions, as well as to prevent air stagnation in the turkey room, ventilation must be well thought out.

In most cases, a ventilation duct with a damper is used for this. It is this that will be the main part of the entire ventilation system. The optimal dimensions of the box will be 25x25 cm. It should be placed directly on the ceiling.

Otherwise, they could fall on turkeys, causing serious injury or even death.

Installing such ventilation for a turkey poultry house with your own hands is not at all difficult. You can learn more about this from the video:

Floors, walls and windows

Floors are almost the main part of the entire turkey house. Birds walk on them almost all day, so they must be:

smooth;
smooth;
warm.

It is not difficult to create a flat and smooth surface for the floors of a house for turkeys. But how to provide the floors with the necessary warmth? To do this, you need to place the flooring at least 20–25 cm from the ground. It is this height that will prevent the floor from freezing in winter, thereby ensuring its desired temperature regime.

Artificial lighting alone will not be enough for turkeys, so windows in the poultry house are an important detail. Without sufficient daylight, turkeys will begin to get sick, which means that one window for the entire poultry house will not be enough.

When calculating the required number of windows for a turkey poultry house, as well as their layout, you need to use a simple technique. Its essence is to imagine how the corners of the poultry house will be illuminated during the daytime with one or another arrangement of windows. If all corners are fully illuminated, then the number of windows and their arrangement are chosen correctly. In this case, each adult bird or turkey chick will receive the amount of light they need and will grow actively.

The walls of the turkey house must also satisfy certain conditions:

be warm;
even.

In addition, there must be special holes in the walls of the turkey poultry - manholes. They are needed so that turkeys can freely go out into the enclosure for a walk. In most cases, a hole with dimensions of 50x50 cm will be enough for turkeys. But if the breeder plans to keep large breeds of turkeys, then the size of the hole needs to be increased.

It is most rational to place holes for turkeys under the windows. Moreover, each of the passages must be closed with double doors to protect the turkeys from drafts.

Perches

Every turkey house should have perches for turkeys. It is recommended to place perches in the rear, warmest part of the turkey poultry. To avoid injury to turkeys, the perch should have a smooth structure. To make cleaning the turkey poultry easier, many breeders make the perches removable.

All perches for turkeys should be located at different levels. Most often they are installed in the form of a pyramid, where the bottom step is 80 cm from the floor, and the top step is 80 cm from the ceiling.

Making perches with your own hands is quite simple. To do this, you need to take wooden beams and place them half a meter from each other.

Feeders and drinkers

Of all the variety of turkey feeders, the ones that are most suitable are:

trough-shaped feeders;
trough feeders.

You need to choose a feeder for turkeys taking into account their size. The larger the turkey, the larger its feeder should be, and vice versa.

At the same time, different feeders should be provided for different feeds. So, for dry food it is better to use trough feeders, which are recommended to be hung at the level of the turkey’s back. But feeders for mineral feed should be located 40 cm from the floor.

As for drinkers, for the convenience of turkeys, they should be hung at the height of their necks. In this case, it is better to cover the drinking bowls themselves with a net.

Aviary

An aviary or pen for turkeys is an integral part of every turkey poultry farm. Therefore, when calculating the area for a house for turkeys, it is necessary to include the area of the enclosure. The turkey is a fairly active bird, and the more birds you plan to keep, the larger the aviary should be.

Turkeys fly well, so the enclosure must have not only walls, but also a ceiling. They should be made of metal mesh with small cells. In addition, it is advisable to sow the soil in the enclosure with useful perennials, such as clover or alfalfa. You can also use annuals: peas, oats - but they will have to be renewed every year. You can put drinking bowls in the enclosure. This will be especially true for the summer keeping of turkeys.

A turkey house built taking into account all these recommendations will become a real home for turkeys. They will feel comfortable in it, which means they will grow well and actively lay eggs.

Setting up a turkey poultry house

Perches, feeders, drinkers and nests are placed inside the turkey poultry. Before installation of feeders and drinking bowls begins, lighting is installed. But the ventilation is installed together with the ceiling and roof. If installation of a fan is provided, then it is performed at this stage. To prevent insects from entering the turkey poultry, the ventilation ducts are covered with a special mosquito net.

The mesh is also installed on the windows, if provided. Since in the wild, males and females live separately after the mating season, the turkey poultry should be divided into 2 sections: one for turkeys, the other for turkeys with their offspring.

Lighting

If birds are raised for meat, the lighting will be almost around the clock. Intensity – 25 Watt per 1 sq.m. Fluorescent lamps are installed so that the room is illuminated evenly. Height – 2 m from the floor.

Illumination schedule:

1 day – around the clock;
Day 2 – time is reduced by 1 hour;
from 3 to 14 days, the duration of lighting is reduced to 16 hours a day;
The lighting level remains at 16 hours for the entire fattening period (28 weeks).

Ventilation

The supply and exhaust ventilation system consists of 2 main pipes: supply and exhaust. Pipe diameter is about 250 mm. Since gases can be heavy or light, exhaust openings are made in the walls almost at floor level and at the height of the middle of the wall. Each hole must be equipped with a damper that will block the access of air in severe frost.

The rate of processed air is 4-6 cubic meters per hour per 1 kg of turkey weight. If a conventional exhaust system cannot cope with six air changes within an hour, then it is advisable to install a fan to optimize the process.

Important! All electrical wiring is placed in special boxes at a height of at least 1.5 m (to prevent contact with moisture, birds or rodents)

Temperature

Most birds tolerate temperature changes well and easily adapt to them. But turkeys are considered the most “inflexible” in this matter. Therefore, the air temperature will gradually change as the population grows:

at the time of birth, the air temperature under the lamp (in the brooder) should be no lower than +36° C, and in the room – no lower than +28° C;
at the age of 1 week – in the brooder +34° C, indoors – +26° C;
for 2-week-old turkey poults – in the brooder +28° C, indoors +23° C;
by the end of the first month, the room where they are kept should be at least +22° C. Then the maintained temperature should not fall below +17° C.

Perches

Since turkeys are large birds, there is at least 0.5 m of perch per individual. The area with perches is made in the form of a small ladder, where the furthest one will also be the highest. The structure is placed where it is especially warm. The distance between 2 poles is at least 25 cm.

Optimal heights:

the highest pole is 1.2 m;
the lowest pole is 0.5 m.

Important! When hypothermia occurs, birds may not get sick, but their growth and development are suspended.

Nests

Nests are arranged at the rate of 1 piece. for 4-5 turkeys. Typical size – 40 x 70 x 60 cm. Height – at least 0.6 m from the floor. It is advisable to have a small threshold leading to the nest.

Drinkers and feeders

In the first days of life, the beak of a turkey chick is very soft. To avoid damaging it, drinkers and feeders are made of soft materials. Starting from 2 weeks, you can install regular feeders. Feeders for adult birds can be made in the form of boxes, from pieces of plastic pipe or from other useful materials. The height of placing the feeder on the wall is 40 cm from the floor.

The water bowl should be large enough so that the chick can drink, but not get wet (this leads to disease). For adult turkeys, drinkers are placed at neck level.

We advise you to learn about feeding turkeys at home.

Arrangement for turkey poults

In the first week after birth, turkey poults are placed in a brooder. The lamp inside will provide the desired air temperature and lighting. A sand bedding is laid on the floor, soft feeders and a drinking bowl are placed. These devices should not be directly under the lamp; it is better to place them close to the center. The litter needs to be changed regularly. From the second week, scalded sawdust can be used as bedding. They need to be changed at least once a week. The density of placement of turkey poults is 5 pcs. per 1 sq.m.

From 2 weeks of age, turkey poults can be released for walking during the day. To do this, you will need an area protected from other birds and animals. Small perches are also prepared and installed for the young animals. Height – 15 cm from floor level. The length depends on the size of the livestock, but for 1 turkey there should be at least 10 cm in width.

Properly setting up a chicken coop for turkeys

A new turkey house or an existing room for keeping turkeys must be equipped with the necessary equipment.

Perches for turkeys

Perches for Turkeys One of the main elements is the perch. For installation, choose the warmest side of the room. For perches, you can use planed bars or hewn poles. The surface is brought to a perfectly smooth state. Usually, perches are installed in a pyramid in several tiers - the first at a distance of 80 cm from the floor, the top one - 80 cm from the ceiling. The distance between the bars should be about 0.5 m. A distance of 25 cm should be left between the perch closest to the wall.

Feeders and drinkers

Feeder with drinker for turkeys Feeders can be made with your own hands.
To do this, knock together an oblong narrow box with a strip in the middle made of boards or plywood. Drinking bowls are easy to make from plastic sewer pipes. In specialized stores there is now a very large selection of drinkers and feeders; the main thing is to choose ones so that each individual has free access to food and water.

Nests

Nests for Laying Turkeys You will need nests for laying hens and hens. They are made from wooden boards or plywood with the calculation of 1 nest for 4-5 turkeys. The optimal size of one nest is 40x70x60 cm. Nests should be located at a height of 60-70 cm from the floor. To ensure that the bird has free access, a small threshold is attached to the entrance to the nest at a distance of 8-10 cm.

Place for turkey poults

The poultry house must have space for turkey poults. It would be better if it was a separate small room. For the smallest chickens, a brooder should be installed.

A brooder is a box for the smallest turkey poults, where special conditions have been created to increase the survival rate of the offspring. It has constant lighting and heating. The box also has a feeder and a drinker.

Read about proper feeding of turkey poults from day one here.

Microclimate

Small turkey chicks need constant lighting, since they have poor vision and in dim light will not be able to find the feeder, and they have not yet developed a reflex to the feeding location. Chicks from one to three days old need a higher temperature, so a heater is installed in the brooder. In a small design this may be an incandescent lamp. Since the temperature should gradually decrease, a thermostat should be connected to the heat source.

It is necessary to attach an aviary to the turkey poultry for walking birds. Turkeys can go for a walk even in winter, thanks to their frost resistance. The size of the territory depends on the size of the livestock. It’s easy to make an aviary yourself.

How to do

After the size of the enclosure has been determined, wooden posts should be dug around the perimeter, between which horizontal logs are attached. A chain-link mesh is attached to them. It is best to use galvanized mesh, as it does not rust and will last longer than regular mesh. To prevent birds from getting under the net, the lower logs are packed parallel to the ground at a short distance from it. The height of the fence should be at least two meters, since turkeys are good flyers. Some poultry farmers enclose the walk with netting even from above. This will prevent attacks by birds of prey.

Video about the turkey poultry and its construction.

Even an inexperienced poultry farmer can build a wooden turkey house. When constructing a capital structure, it is necessary to provide for the growth of the livestock, and decide whether turkeys are bred for oneself or for sale. Particular attention should be paid to lighting, heating and ventilation; After purchasing new individuals, they should be kept in quarantine.

You can read about turkey breeding for business here.

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Choosing a site for construction

When building a building from scratch, it is important to choose the right place where the poultry house will be located. Recommendations for such a place are as follows:

the presence of a slight elevation (dry area far from groundwater);
a sufficient amount of sunlight (construction in constant shade should be avoided);
the place should be spacious so that bird rooms and a walking area can fit in;
location away from places with large concentrations of people and cars (motorways, garages, gazebos, etc.).

Room for turkeys
Helpful advice: when choosing a site and subsequent construction of a poultry house, you should take care of the availability of additional space. Some farmers start with a small number of livestock, and over time they think about expanding their business and very often face the problem of lack of free space.

Interior work

The construction of the poultry house frame is not the end of the construction work, because then it is necessary to carry out a number of measures for the interior decoration of the premises, the organization of lighting, heating and ventilation.

Lighting

Turkeys should have about 13 hours of daylight, so it is very important to provide adequate lighting in the house. For this purpose, electrical wiring with lamps is installed

In summer, additional lighting is not required, and in winter and autumn, ordinary 60 W fluorescent lamps or LED lamps are used.

Find out how long turkeys grow before they are slaughtered.

in the morning: from 6:00 to dawn;
in the evening: from first twilight until 19:00.

Ventilation

Simply installing several windows in a poultry house will not be enough for a comfortable stay for turkeys, so you cannot do without installing a supply and exhaust system - an installation that ventilates air due to its forced removal.

Important! The arrangement of supply and exhaust ventilation is a mandatory measure if the premises will be inhabited by birds of foreign breeds. Such birds are very sensitive to high humidity, dampness, and air pollution, as a result of which they often get sick and reduce their productivity. middle

In this case, the shaft pipe for ventilation is led out into the street.

To do this, even during the construction of the barn, a special box measuring 25x25 cm is installed, which is equipped with three exits: to the floor of the turkey house, under the ceiling and in the middle. In this case, the shaft pipe is led outside for ventilation.

When installing pipes, cracks in the wall should be filled with foam.

Temperature

One of the most important conditions for keeping turkeys is maintaining a comfortable temperature. To do this, you should create an internal heating system, as well as high-quality insulation of walls and floors.

The floor should rise above the ground by at least 20 cm, and if the birds are kept in harsh climatic conditions, then at least 40 cm. In this case, it is recommended to use hay, sawdust, and straw as bedding material, which are covered with a layer of 10–15 cm.

Find out what the temperature should be for turkey poults.

To form the flooring, experts advise using wooden blocks that fit tightly together. It is not advisable to use concrete for flooring, since although it is durable, it becomes very hot in the cold, thereby quickly cooling the air inside.

Of course, during the cold season it is necessary to install additional heating devices in the poultry house. To do this, you can use infrared lamps, which are low cost and can quickly heat the air.

Did you know? The characteristic “whooping” is characteristic exclusively of male turkeys. They make such interesting sounds for several reasons: firstly, they thus attract a turkey, and secondly, they warn other males that the territory is occupied.

As an alternative equipment, you can use traditional air heaters or modern film heaters. When keeping young animals in winter, heating lamps are installed directly above the box, where they are located in the first weeks after incubation.

A modern heating option is infrared lamps

Walls and roof

We build according to the rules

A proper and reliable turkey poultry house should be warm and dry, and its walls should be given special attention. In order to maintain a temperature regime in the room that will help maintain turkey egg production throughout the fall and winter, the walls must have good thermal insulation.

The turkey house is built from frame walls that are hollow inside and this space is filled with insulation of your choice:

When working with sawdust, it is important to remember that this insulation can harbor mice and rats. In the warmth, they will build a nest there, and then it will be almost impossible to remove the rodents. To do this, sawdust is mixed with lime in a ratio of 25:1.

The insulation also has the property of absorbing moisture. To avoid this, it is packed in plastic bags and only then placed in spaces in the walls.

Another option for building barn walls is adobe. For many centuries, people built from it not only buildings for poultry and livestock, but also their own homes. Blocks are made from clay and straw and act as building materials. If the room has already been built, then you can insulate it with the same mixture. To do this, shingles are installed on the inside walls - flat wooden slats located from the inside of the barn. They are stuffed diagonally with slopes in one direction, and then in the opposite direction. Afterwards straw and clay are stuffed into it. After the shingles or adobe wall has dried, it is whitewashed with lime.

The roof is made sloping to allow precipitation to flow freely from it and to facilitate the process of removing snow in winter. It is necessary to make an insulating layer on the roof. Simply covering it with slate or tiles is not enough. The ceiling is insulated with a layer of cellophane or roofing felt. In this way, you can protect the turkey poultry and its inhabitants from drafts and cold.

It is not recommended to make the ceiling too high if the turkey poultry does not have additional heating. All the warm air will collect at the top, and the turkeys will be cold and sick.

Barn construction technology

First of all, it is necessary to provide an area for the poultry house. The ideal option here would be a hill with a natural slope to drain water from the building. If there is flat terrain, a layer of crushed stone up to 15 centimeters thick is laid on the construction site. In the case where the walls are made of heavy material, the foundation is poured, the floor is made of concrete or cement-sand screed. To prevent the appearance of soil moisture, a plastic film is placed under the screed or bitumen mastic is applied. To remove urine and excess moisture from drinking bowls, a system of drainage channels is provided.

An adult bird can withstand minor negative temperatures, so the walls of the building can be erected from any available material

It is important to maintain the tightness of the structure, because the presence of cracks through which cold air will penetrate causes numerous diseases in turkeys. If the full cycle of bird development will take place in the room, then partitions need to be made in the barn for raising young animals and keeping adult birds. The ideal option is to build a barn for turkeys from aerated concrete.

This material has low thermal conductivity, removes excess moisture well, and reduces the time for building walls. During the development process, space is provided for door and window openings, which will avoid additional financial costs for lighting the poultry house. The roof frame is made of wood; slate or metal profiles are used as roofing material. In any case, the choice of materials for future construction depends on the financial capabilities of the owner

The ideal option is to build a shed for turkeys from aerated concrete. This material has low thermal conductivity, removes excess moisture well, and reduces the time for building walls. During the development process, space is provided for door and window openings, which will avoid additional financial costs for lighting the poultry house. The roof frame is made of wood; slate or metal profiles are used as roofing material. In any case, the choice of materials for future construction depends on the financial capabilities of the owner.

If you don’t have enough money, then you can opt for frame construction. If compared with the previous option, then the construction of such a barn will take even less time. The building is sheathed on both sides, insulation is provided in the roof structure, especially if winter maintenance and raising of turkey poults is planned. The floor in this case is made of wooden planks, the windows are located at a height of 50 centimeters from the floor level.

Inside the do-it-yourself shed there is a perch made of wooden poles. Feeders and drinkers, containers for pebbles and mineral feed are installed indoors. The floor is covered with a thick layer of straw or sawdust. Oviposition sites are provided for turkeys.

Turkey roosts

The bird's perch should be smooth

This matter also has its own Requirements. Perches for caged or other turkeys should be smooth and removable. Most often, special perches are placed in the heated part of the barn, so construction can begin there. A perch for a domestic animal may in appearance resemble an ordinary hill, in which the last rows are located higher than the front ones. To build such an important element of the turkey poultry, prepare beams (7x7 centimeters) with slightly rounded ends.

The distance between the bars should be about half a meter, and the perches should be located at a height of 80 cm from the floor.

If you wish, you can place retractable shields under the perches that will help you deal with droppings, and the barn and its inhabitants will be cleaner. If difficulties arise regarding the construction of perches, it is recommended to use drawings, photographs or videos; in them you can learn in detail about all the details and important points that relate to perches for turkeys.

How to build a turkey poultry house

It is believed that frame construction is the most optimal option. You can quickly build such a barn for turkeys with your own hands on your own plot.

The frame is made of wooden beams, the outer and inner sides are sheathed with boards or OSB sheets. Insulation with a thickness of at least 10 cm is laid between the sheathing - it can be mineral wool, polystyrene foam, sawdust or other material. The entire structure is located on a reinforced concrete foundation. Between the lower beam and the foundation, waterproofing should be laid, for example, from 2-3 layers of roofing felt. After construction, it is advisable to foam all cracks and joints on the outside. It is not necessary to pour a capital foundation. As a rule, the structure for turkeys is simple and light.

Square

The area of the poultry house for turkeys is determined depending on the number of birds. So, for 4-5 turkey poults or 1-2 adults you will need 1 square meter of area.

Electricity supply

If the bird is kept indoors all year round, then electricity is supplied to it. For lighting, lamps are used at a rate of 3 W per 1 square meter for turkey poults and 5 W per 1 square meter. m. for an adult bird. The lamps are hung at a height of 1.5-1.7 m from the floor. Electrical cables should be placed out of reach of turkeys. It is best to place the cables in corrugated hoses for better protection from damage and moisture.

Walk

If possible, the walk is located on the south side. The area is fenced around the perimeter and on top with a mesh, the recommended height is 2 meters. There must be a net on top to avoid attacks by birds of prey. Access to the run from the poultry house is provided by manholes, which must be equipped with doors. The size of such holes should be approximately 50x50 cm or more, depending on the size of the bird.

Windows, floors, ceilings

The windows in the poultry house should consist of two frames and be located at a distance of 20 cm from the ceiling. The number of windows is selected so that all corners of the room are illuminated.

Floors in turkey poultry houses must be hard and level. Straw or sawdust is used as bedding. The recommended thickness of litter for turkey poults is 7-10 cm, for adult birds - 25-30 cm.

Important! Bedding is important especially in winter, because the main cold rises from below and a layer of straw or sawdust will prevent this

Ventilation

Must be forced. It is necessary to equip a system that would supply 4-6 cubic meters. m of fresh air per hour per 1 kg of live weight and change the air about 6 times per hour. The hood is installed in the lower part of the room. Drafts are not allowed in the poultry house.

To arrange ventilation, you can use a ventilation duct equipped with a valve. It is installed on the ceiling, the recommended dimensions are 25 by 25 cm.

Projects and drawings

Once the location has been chosen, you can begin drawing up the project. A typical turkey poultry is used as a basis. In accordance with the conditions of detention, a house for breeding turkeys should consist of the following areas:

main room;
vestibule-hallway;
walking area.

Birds are always present in the main room. Its sizes are selected based on the number of livestock. The room should be equipped with perches, a feeder, a drinking bowl and a place for dry bathing. It is equipped with lighting, a ventilation system, and the required temperature must be maintained. The vestibule prevents the penetration of cold air during the winter season. It can also store tools, equipment for cleaning the poultry house and a supply of dry food. A walking area or enclosure is attached directly to the main room. The territory is fenced with a metal mesh at least two meters high.

For turkey poults

In farms where turkeys are raised on a regular basis, a cage is provided where they are kept separately from adult individuals. The dimensions of the main room may be smaller, since up to 5 turkey poults can be located per 1 m2. Thus, up to 30 turkey poults can live in a room of 6 m2. If the house is intended for laying hens, nests should be made in it where they will lay and hatch eggs.

You can read about incubating turkey eggs here.

For adults

The layout of the turkey poultry for adult birds remains the same as for young birds, only the size must be increased. The walking area should also be much larger. If the area of the site does not allow you to place separate poultry houses for young animals and adults, you can get by with one building. In this case, the interior should be divided into “children’s” and “adult” zones, without the possibility of mutual contacts.

Choosing a poultry house

A turkey barn must be built on every farm. Without their own home, birds will not be able to grow, eat, lay or hatch eggs. In addition, one should remember the harsh climatic conditions of our country. During the winter and autumn periods, birds must have somewhere to hide from frost and wind.

Also in the barn for keeping turkeys, you should arrange a perch. It is a structure that is absolutely necessary for the process of hatching turkey eggs. Perches provide birds with the necessary conditions for laying eggs and maintaining temperature in the nests. Perches for turkeys should be installed in every poultry house.

Therefore, the availability of sufficient space should be a major factor in the construction and design of poultry house space. If a farmer has a ready-made building at his disposal, he needs to make preliminary calculations of the area based on settlement standards.

Typically, for medium-sized breeds of turkeys, a square meter is left for one head. If the breeds are heavy crosses, whose body weight often reaches forty kilograms, the area standard should be increased.

In addition to sizes, it is also important to follow some more rules given below

Temperature maintenance. Many turkey breeds have poor health and do not tolerate low temperatures well. Therefore, turkeys should carefully insulate their premises. The cracks in the floors and walls need to be insulated as best as possible and closed from drafts. In winter, the air in the room should not be allowed to drop to sub-zero temperatures. The minimum temperature in the barn should be set and maintained based on the breed. For medium-cross turkeys bred in Russia, the temperature should be maintained at zero degrees. Foreign bird breeds need warmer conditions. The temperature should be at least ten degrees. Poultry house zoning. When selecting a room or designing a new one, be sure to divide the barn into several compartments

It is important to do this in order to separate the chicks that need special care from the rest of the flock. Also, many farmers note the need to keep males who have reached sexual maturity and females separately.

The fact is that upon the onset of maturity and during the mating period, males can behave quite aggressively. Start fights over food, offend other members of the flock, and peck at weaker individuals. To avoid this, birds should be separated from each other. Lighting. It shouldn't be dark in the poultry house! The room should be built taking into account that each area is illuminated in equal amounts. Sunlight is a source of vitamin D, which birds need for development and growth. Windows should be located high from the floor to prevent drafts in the shed. Frames should be carefully insulated. If there is not enough light in the barn, you need to use artificial lighting sources - infrared lamps, fluorescent lamps. Floor and foundation. Turkeys do not like dampness and moisture. Therefore, the flooring should be erected at some distance from the ground. The wood should be placed on stilts, the boards should be well sanded and free of knots. Any unevenness can injure the bird and cause injury and further infection. We pay attention to the quality of materials. A barn for birds should be built from natural materials, so the birds will be provided with the necessary ventilation. A room built from wood maintains air circulation inside. Arrangement of premises for walking. A walking area should be provided next to the poultry house. Turkeys cannot develop normally and gain body weight without daily walks and fresh air. Build an aviary for birds where they can roam. When selecting a territory, you should take into account the walking range for turkeys. It should be at least two to three meters per head. It should be taken into account that the enclosures are blocked on the sides, as well as on the top. The canopy will prevent birds from flying out of the house.

Room requirements for proper keeping of turkeys

Despite the fact that turkeys and turkeys, especially adult ones, are unpretentious birds, the breeding and maintenance premises must meet certain requirements. These include:

area dimensions per individual;
appropriate temperature regime;
a certain level of humidity;
good ventilation;
absence of drafts;
proper lighting;
zoning into compartments;
availability of an enclosure for walking.

A room for turkey poults that meets important requirements for the proper maintenance of birds.

The turkey is a large bird, so the area of the poultry house is calculated based on one individual per 1 m2. Birds require a certain temperature at which they feel most comfortable. Incorrect temperature conditions lead to decreased appetite and slow weight gain. High humidity always causes various diseases in birds, so the room must have good supply and exhaust ventilation to prevent drafts. Good lighting is necessary for the proper and active development of young animals. The turkey house should be divided into zones so that laying hens with young animals are kept separately from the rest of the livestock. A large aviary for walking birds in the fresh air must be attached to the turkey poultry, especially for large breeds.

The largest breed of turkeys can be found in this article.

The walking area should be seeded with grass, clover or alfalfa, as turkeys enjoy using pasture.

How to build a foundation?

For the poultry house, the area is cleared of debris and foreign objects. Markings are made on the terrain using a tape measure and a level. Install pegs. To make it easier to dig the foundation, markings are necessary: string is tied to the pegs

All dimensions are checked, paying attention to right angles. The turkey house is not a large and heavy building, so the foundation is shallow or shallow:

according to the markings, dig a trench 60-100 cm deep and 40-70 cm wide;
The bottom of the trench is leveled, a drainage cushion is laid: 10 cm of gravel, 8-10 cm of sand;
Formwork is installed around the perimeter of the trench. The height of the formwork is 20 cm above the soil surface;
roofing felt is laid for waterproofing;
reinforcement is installed inside the trench;
the trench is filled with concrete;
further work is carried out after 27 days. The concrete base dries naturally.

The foundation must be ventilated. For this purpose, holes are left in it. They are made from plastic pipes. The pipes are laid in the formwork in several places. Atmospheric air passes through them to the structure. If you ignore ventilation of the foundation, it will not last long. After 27 days, the formwork is removed.

For a columnar or pile foundation, holes are dug along the perimeter of the marking: step 1.5-2 m. The height of the pillars above the soil is 30-40 cm. A drainage cushion is placed in the holes, pillars or pipes are installed. Pipes and niches around them are filled with concrete. Wait until the concrete dries. Next, roofing felt is laid on the structure and construction continues. A column foundation is suitable for frame and wooden buildings.

It is believed that frame construction is the most optimal option. You can quickly build such a barn for turkeys with your own hands on your own plot.

Square

The area of the poultry house for turkeys is determined depending on the number of birds. So, for 4-5 turkey poults or 1-2 adults you will need 1 square meter of area.

Electricity supply

Windows, floors, ceilings

Important! Bedding is important especially in winter, because the main cold rises from below and a layer of straw or sawdust will prevent this

Ventilation

How to make a floor in a poultry house?

The floor deserves no less attention. Its arrangement must be carefully considered. The floor in the turkey house should be level, warm and smooth. If you make the floor with a mesh, then the paws of the young animals may fall through the mesh. When building a floor in a barn, it is recommended to retreat about 20-25 cm from the ground. A poultry house for turkeys should be equipped, in addition to the floor, with windows, through which sunlight will flow, which has a good effect on the birds and their development. Windows should be located so that during the daytime the floor over its entire area is illuminated by daylight.

If you comply with such needs of turkeys, they will thank you by being less sick and growing actively, in addition, turkeys will lead a healthy lifestyle. In addition to properly positioned flooring and windows, you also need to think about special loopholes. Exits must measure 50 by 50 centimeters. Thanks to such exits, birds can easily move not only within their place of residence, but also outside it. To maintain normal heat inside the turkey poultry, the openings are equipped with double dampers.

Interior arrangement

Setting up a poultry house is an important stage that significantly affects the final result, be it meat products or eggs. Also, properly selected equipment makes poultry maintenance easier, saving time and money.

However, before setting up a turkey poultry house, it should be sanitized. For example, it is advisable to disinfect walls and floors with water containing substances containing chlorine. You can also temporarily place a container with a solution of potassium permanganate and formaldehyde in the room. Only after such treatment should the room be thoroughly ventilated.

For turkeys, the house must be equipped with feeders (troughs or with compartments), drinkers (regular or automated), and dry baths for bathing (any container of a suitable size). The latter can be filled with ash or sand

It is important to provide a comfortable perch. Moreover, you can make not one, but several, depending on the number of individuals

For laying hens, in addition to perches, it is necessary to equip nests.

Arrangement: drinking bowl, perch, feeding trough, light, ventilation

A very important stage in the construction of a turkey poultry house is the installation of internal equipment. In addition, it is mandatory to sanitize the premises.

Disinfection

Floors and walls must be thoroughly washed with warm water to which a 0.5% chloramine solution has been added. Next, you can carry out gas disinfection. To do this, you need to mix a 40% formaldehyde solution with potassium permanganate dissolved in water and leave the container with the liquid indoors for a while. Formaldehyde vapor will destroy all pathogenic microflora. Then the turkey house should be ventilated.

What should be in a turkey poultry

The bird room should have the following:

perches;
feeder;
drinking bowls;
bathtub with sand and ash;
lighting;
ventilation.

You can read about proper feeding of turkeys in this material.

If turkeys are bred to produce eggs and increase the number of birds, nests for laying hens should be made.

How to build a turkey barn

It is a little more difficult to build a poultry barn with your own hands for those who decide to raise turkeys, but there are no impossible tasks here either.

Basic requirements of turkeys

The main difference between a chicken coop and a turkey coop is that the turkey is a more capricious bird. They need more space, more light and warmth. If the temperature in the poultry house drops below +5°C, the turkeys stop laying eggs and begin to get sick. Consider additional lighting and heating for the turkey poultry.

Although stove heating is cheaper, you will have to constantly monitor the stove, add fuel and set up a fence so that the bird does not get burned. Nowadays, infrared heaters are used to heat the poultry house, which have high efficiency and are not dangerous for the birds.

Most often, a turkey shed is built from aerated concrete or foam blocks. It is more expensive than timber and plywood, but more durable and warmer. It is possible to make a common poultry house for all types of birds by simply dividing the building with light partitions, leaving a common yard for walking.

Pouring the foundation and laying the walls

When building a poultry shed from foam blocks, a strip foundation is used.

Clear the area of debris, remove the top layer of soil, and dig a 20x20 trench for the foundation.
Mix crushed stone with sand and pour it into an even layer at the bottom of the trench, at least 10 cm high.
Compact and spill with water.
After this, you can begin installing formwork and laying reinforcement. For this type of foundation, 6 mm reinforcement is suitable, which is tied with wire and filled with concrete mixture.
In sunny and warm weather, three days will be enough for the concrete to completely set. Remove the formwork and coat the entire foundation with melted bitumen.

After another day you can start working on the walls.

Reinforcement should be provided on the first row of masonry, on the last and approximately in the middle. To groove the blocks, use a grinder or a special tool. Foam concrete is quite soft and easy to groove.

It would seem that there is no need for an armored belt, since this is just a poultry house, but this is not so. The armored belt protects the walls from cracking and destruction if the soil subsides a little. And it will definitely sag under the weight of the structure. You can save on windows if you immediately insert glass into the opening and reinforce it with polyurethane foam. But in this case, the windows have a purely decorative function, and you will not be able to ventilate the room.

How to make a floor and roof in a poultry house

Depending on your finances, the flooring of your bird barn can be made from a variety of materials. The cheapest and most popular is adobe. Dry clay is mixed with chopped straw, scattered in an even layer and compacted well with a tamper. The layer of clay with straw should be at least 10 cm. On top, dry sand, sawdust, or straw is used as bedding.

A more expensive floor is made of boards and timber laid on a concrete screed. Later it is covered with boards or OSB boards. This floor is beautiful, but it still requires constant care and cleaning. Dampness and traces of bird activity will very quickly render the wooden floor covering unusable.

If you have previously built gazebos or added verandas, then there will be no difficulties here either. The technology for attaching a wooden roof to masonry is exactly the same. Transverse beams are laid between the blocks at a distance of no more than 0.5 m from each other and fastened with cement mortar. After the solution has completely hardened, logs, sheathing, insulation, and the roofing itself are installed.

Heat loss through the roof is the greatest, so do not skimp on insulation and do not leave gaps.

Insulation of buildings and important details

The gas blocks themselves are quite warm, so in warm regions you can do without insulation with mineral wool or polystyrene foam. For ease of installation of internal shelves and for the sake of aesthetics, the inside walls should be lined with OSB boards. Do not throw away the scraps of slabs; they will be useful when arranging shelves for nests in the poultry house and various partitions.

When building a barn for chickens and turkeys, many people forget about creating an exit for the birds, and then they have to spend a long time fiddling around with a grinder, cutting out an opening of the required size

It is also important to plan a walk so that you can safely enter the house to collect eggs without disturbing the walking bird. Feeders and perches can be rearranged, but the location of windows and doors is difficult to change

By spending a little time and money once, you will get a reliable and strong poultry shed for many years, in which your feathered pets will feel and feel great.

Organization of walks

A house for turkey poults should be built in such a way that the turkeys feel comfortable there. The bird also needs proper organization of walking, which is a prerequisite for the life of the bird. The best option for a turkey is when it has 20 square meters of free air space, but if you look at this size through the eyes of a farmer raising turkeys in normal home conditions, these sizes are very large. In order for the turkeys to be happy and benefit exclusively from being outdoors, the soil must be prepared in advance before the birds move into the barn.

The soil must be sown with seeds of useful and perennial grasses; the most suitable ones are considered to be alfalfa or clover. You can also sow any type of annual grass on the ground, as it is no less useful, including oats and peas. If the area near the barn is sown with such herbs, then this is a real godsend for turkeys, especially for characteristic individuals. The turkey differs from similar individuals in that it is more active and mobile, and therefore requires space. For example, a turkey can calmly walk several kilometers and go back to the poultry house, but a turkey that has its own young returns to such walks only after the young have lived for 2-3 weeks.

Why do turkeys need free range?

Properly organized walking of turkeys is necessary to ensure that the individual eats a varied diet and receives vitamin D. After all, when walking, turkeys feed exclusively on substances that are beneficial to themselves. After all, Turkeys, like ordinary birds, are able to get themselves worms, larvae, bugs, and they also feed on nuts and seeds. For a novice farmer You can watch a video on this topic or chat on forums with various breeders to learn how to properly organize walking. The best place for turkey pasture is one in which there are a variety of shrubs, the ground is overgrown with grass, and there is a place with shade, since the birds must be able to hide from the hot sun.

It is worth noting that during hot days, birds look for shaded places to hide. You should not think that turkeys need a walk only in warm seasons; in winter, regardless of frost, turkeys also need walks. But in order for the birds to be able to calmly walk around the enclosure in winter, it must be covered with a large amount of straw, which is best prepared in the summer. If the weather is too windy and frosty, then you should not let your birds outside to keep them healthy and safe. Winter time provides some troubles exclusively for the breeder, for example, to get your stock to go out for a walk.

This is due to the fact that there is no grass on the ground in winter, there are no various beetles and worms, which attracts turkeys in the summer, so breeders must lure individuals out with the help of food that their wards love. Farmers often cover the ground with grains and decorate the fence of the enclosure with hay, which smells fragrant and reminds the animals of summer. In winter, such tricks help to lure turkeys outside, where they, in turn, feed on substances beneficial to the body and breathe fresh air, which is very necessary for turkeys, especially in winter, when the body is weakened.

Creating an aviary for walking turkeys

In terms of the standard enclosure area for 1 bird, you can adhere to the minimum figure of 2 adult birds per square meter. You can choose natural soil as the basis of the site, if it is dry enough. But the most suitable option is to create a wooden floor similar to the floor in the turkey poultry itself.

The sequence of work is as follows:

The dimensions of the site are outlined - first on the drawing, therefore directly on the site.
The area is cleared of grass and top layer of soil - to do this, you can dig it up to 40-50 cm.
After this, the soil layer is carefully leveled and covered successively with sand, crushed stone, gravel (or expanded clay).
Along the perimeter, racks are constructed at certain intervals, which will serve as load-bearing support for wooden beams.
Wooden beams are laid and strengthened, pre-treated with varnish to prevent rotting, and also sanded (so that birds do not get splinters).
Next, a wooden frame is built, closely adjacent to the turkey poultry, and surrounded by a metal mesh.
The surface is covered with a small layer of sawdust or straw.

It is better to cover the roof with a film so that precipitation does not wet the birds and bedding.

Turkey poultry project: drawing up a drawing

When the location for the future poultry house has been determined, its drawing needs to be developed in detail. If you make the right calculations right away, you can get a correct idea of exactly how much building materials will be needed. Therefore, drawing up the right project is the key to correctly calculating the budget.

It is also important to decide who exactly needs to be kept - how many adult birds there will be and how many turkey poults. Each building can be made according to different projects, or they can be built within one complex with the possibility of completely separating turkeys from chicks.

The size of the turkey poultry depends on the number of birds

Poultry house for turkey poults: drawing

Below are drawings, which were compiled on the basis that 30 turkey poults will live in the turkey house. Parameters for other quantities can be easily recalculated.

Turkey poultry with an aviary: side view

Note! You should not make the room too high, because in this case it will be more difficult to heat it - all the heat will go up. It is also important to take into account that the roof is sloping to allow precipitation to drain away.

Turkey poultry: view from the entrance

Turkey poultry: top view and interior design

Poultry house for adult turkeys: drawing

Here is a drawing for keeping the same number of adult birds (30 heads).

Turkey poultry for 30 heads

The presence of a vestibule in a turkey house for any purpose is a prerequisite so that cold air in winter does not directly reach the birds. You can keep household items there so that space doesn’t go to waste, but you shouldn’t skimp on its size.

The inlet hole is selected with standard parameters. And the window opening can be made no more than 50*50 cm. For 30 heads, two such windows are suitable, and they must certainly be located on the same side from the south, southeast or southwest. As for manholes for turkeys, it is better to install them directly under the windows - the birds will instinctively move towards the sunlight and end up in the enclosure.