# Pasture Turkey...? Housing? Fencing?



## LostMontanan (Mar 7, 2012)

Hey everybody, we are raising 14 Bronze Breasted Turkeys this year after the 7 we did last year out on pasture. Question? What are other people using for housing and temporary fencing, or pens...? We have a gutted 28' trailer house that we use as the coop and night housing which seems to work pretty good and is easily moveable, but we are having the ----dest time keeping the turkeys in ANY sort of fencing. Weve clipped wings, gone up to 6' fence material which sure isnt very temporary or portable, Im at a loss here. Am I going to have to build a movable pen with a top? Thats going to mean alot more moving during the day than I was hoping... 

What are you guys using for turkey fencing?


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## xbigp (Apr 9, 2011)

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J17MI0adCdg[/ame]
similar to this. light and easy to move


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

My BBB lives in a pen with 6 foot high chicken wire fence.

Wondering, are you planning in keeping turkeys next year, year after?
I only ask because I wonder why the pen has to ne temporary or mobile?


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## madness (Dec 6, 2006)

I haven't raised turkeys myself but I did see the setup at Joel Salatin's Polyface Farms. They used electro netting and a mobile 'coop' that was consisted of a roof and places to perch. Electo netting kept the turkeys in and predators out. Not sure what size they use but it looked like the regular chicken/poultry type.


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## LostMontanan (Mar 7, 2012)

Thanks guys, I was working my way towards some sort of PVC deal... It has to be moveable because we move the turkeys trailer and pen every day or two to fresh grass, and I really like being able to lock them up at night with our high coyote population... Im thinking a pvc pen with a netted top that butts up to the trailer still.... Ill keep you posted with what I come up with!


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## Copperhead (Sep 12, 2011)

As far as coyotes . . . lock them up inside the trailer, behind the electronet, with a guardian dog or two OUTSIDE the electronet.


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## Onegreenguy (Oct 9, 2013)

xbigp said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J17MI0adCdg
> similar to this. light and easy to move


Great video! It did raise a few questions though. Would they be more inclined to fight in closed quarters like that? Is grass/bugs in that confined area to feed them for the day or are they moved more than once a day?


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## idigbeets (Sep 3, 2011)

I start them in chicken tractors, clip the wing (note.. I said WING, not wings, they'll fly if you do both), and put in a regular poultry netting enclosure w/ a moveable coop, (old horse trailer w/ roosts). 

We did have a pack of coyotes one year knock down the netting and get a few birds, so I put up an extra electric fence, poly wire, about 3 feet away, 2 strands, and never had an issue since.


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

Mine live in the Hen house with the chickens. We have cattle panel fencing with Hot wire.

We let them fly, because they always stayed near home. .....
Until last week, guess one of the neighbors decided one of my Turkey hens would make a good dinner..... didn't catch her thank goodness.
Long story short...
Ended up having to clip their wings and Lock them in the hen house at night.

Before that, they free ranged around the house, and slept where they wanted too.
They were super friendly and loved people.

I won't want to put them in a pen that small. Honestly think they would end up fighting with eat other.


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## M88A1 (May 21, 2012)

Ours free range in spring summer and fall. Winter we out them in a dog kennel with blue tarps on all sides except the door side and they did rather well.


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