Turkeys are considered quite whimsical birds. For their content, it is necessary to create certain conditions. This is due to the fact that a change in temperature regime can adversely affect the health of birds. In addition, the place of residence should be equipped with a good ventilation system. You can make a turkey house with your own hands, but you need to have minimal construction skills and adhere to certain rules.

Turkey barn requirements

Before starting the construction of a turkey house, you need to know exactly how it should be. It is necessary to think over in detail the construction plan, create its drawing, think over the internal arrangement of the shed.

A do-it-yourself turkey shed must meet the following requirements:

  • Space - at least 1 m2 of area should be allocated for 1 adult bird (if we are talking about turkeys, then for some time up to 5 pieces can be kept in such an area).
  • The turkey coop should be equipped with warm walls, and in areas with cold climates, the room needs additional heating.
  • The territory of the turkey house should be divided into separate zones by solid partitions. This will help prevent conflict situations between males. In addition, adult birds must be kept separately from chicks.
  • The turkey house must be equipped with additional lighting. For this you can use fluorescent lamps. This is extremely important for the normal development and growth of every little turkey. Good lighting is also important for the laying turkey.
  • When choosing a location for a turkey pen, it is better to give preference to a quiet, but well-lit place, in which there are no drafts. It should be located near a bird walking area. If the groundwater is close to the ground, the poultry house should be built on a hill. Otherwise, the room will be cold and damp, which can lead to a number of diseases.

DIY turkey poultry

How to build a turkey house

A step-by-step construction algorithm involves the development of a project before starting work. At the same time, you need to think over in advance not only the project of the room itself, but also the aviary for the turkeys. This will help plan the amount of material needed for the job.

DIY honey extractor

When creating a project, you need to take into account the size of the room. They are calculated depending on what kind of birds will be kept in the house. For example, the large Big breed requires more space.

Lighting

As for lighting, experienced breeders recommend equipping the barn with windows to save electrical energy. They are located 1 m above the ground. They need to be washed regularly so that the transparency of the glasses does not fall.

Important! The development of young livestock, as well as the rate of egg production, directly depends on the level of lighting.

When using additional lighting, it should be borne in mind that lamps should be located at least 1 m above the floor level. Cables should be placed so that they are well insulated and not directly accessible to birds.

Indoor floors

Building a turkey house involves laying the floor. It is advisable to make a slight slope - this will greatly facilitate cleaning the room. The floor can be made of wood or concrete; it is permissible to leave dense earth as a floor.

Each option has its own characteristics:

  1. Earthen floor. Its equipment will require little investment. Floors of this type are quite cold, especially in winter. For their shelter, hay or straw is additionally used. When equipping earthen floors, the possibility is not excluded that bird feces will mix with the ground after a while, forming a slurry. This will completely violate the sanitary conditions of detention, which is likely to provoke frequent diseases of birds. On such floors, turkeys can freeze their feet at low temperatures.
  2. Concrete floors. Such floors do not have the ability to absorb moisture. They are easy to clean and disinfect. The main disadvantage of concrete floors is that they cool quickly, which negatively affects the health of the livestock. With a significant cold snap and in the winter season, they must be covered with a special coating.
  3. The floors in the turkey house are made of wood. For their construction, you will need to spend a little more money. But they can be quickly cleaned and disinfected. If we talk about the shortcomings of such floors, it should be noted that after a while the boards will absorb so much moisture that it will lead to swelling and decay. If the room is not cleaned on time, an unpleasant odor will accumulate in it.

What will be the floors in the turkey house, only the breeder decides, but it is highly discouraged to focus only on cost. It is imperative to take into account the needs of the livestock, temporary opportunities for cleaning and cleaning the premises.

Walls and roof

Since the turkey house should be not only warm, but also dry, you should pay special attention to the construction of its walls and roof. Walls should have such an indicator as thermal insulation. For this, the walls must be hollow inside. You can use glass wool, sand or sawdust to fill cavities.

Important! When choosing the option with sawdust, be sure to take into account the fact that rodents can start in them. You can avoid this by mixing sawdust with lime.

Experienced breeders recommend using blocks made from clay and straw to build walls. This will help insulate the premises and save on the purchase of expensive building materials. But here certain skills of a builder are already needed, so this option is far from suitable for everyone.

It is better to make the roof of the turkey poultry a little sloping. This will help the water to roll off and the snow to clear. Slate or shingles can be used to cover the roof.

Shed roof

Feces excreted by birds contain a large amount of ammonia, the accumulation of which can lead to poisoning of turkeys. Therefore, it is necessary to equip the room with a good ventilation system that could be closed when the outside temperature drops. Ventilation is installed in such a way as not to create drafts.

Important! There is no point in using ventilation in warm weather. You can ventilate the room by opening windows and doors.

Inner space

Now you can start arranging the inside of the turkey house. The space of the room should be zoned into small areas in which individual livestock will be located. For the construction of partitions, you can use mesh or wooden boards. Their height ranges from 0.5 to 1.0 m.

Making a roost for turkeys with your own hands is not difficult, but you need to remember that this is a rather important part of the barn.

Primary requirements:

  • For the manufacture of perches, you can use wooden boards, at least 40 cm wide.
  • It is worth paying attention to the fact that the strength of the perches must be such as to withstand the weight of an adult.
  • They should be flat and smooth so that the birds can grab them and not get hurt.
  • The roost is placed at a height of no more than 1 m from the floor surface so that the turkeys can easily climb it.

In order to keep the turkey house always clean, experienced breeders recommend equipping the place under the perches with removable floors. It is in this place that most of the bird droppings will accumulate.The use of removable floors will greatly facilitate the cleaning process in the turkey house.

In order for the turkeys to rush well, their chicken coop must be equipped with a nest. For this, a wooden box is suitable, the inside of which is lined with straw or hay. 1 nest is enough for 5 layers. When constructing nests in 2 floors, it will be possible to save free space in the room.

Turkey nest

Feeders and drinkers

It is better to install feeders and drinkers around the perimeter of the turkey house. They need to be placed so that the birds have free access. Drinking bowls are best placed at a level of 0.3–0.5 m from the floor level. With this installation method, liquid will not spray out. The cavity of the feeders can be divided into several parts. Thanks to this solution, it will be possible to avoid mixing dry feed and mash.

On a note. When choosing the size of the feeders and drinkers, the size of the birds must be taken into account. This is done so that the birds are comfortable in the turkey house.

Open-air cage

For the normal development of turkeys, they must have an open-air cage for walking. This will help them develop properly. According to the standards, at least 20 m² of free space should be allocated for 1 individual.

It is recommended to pre-sow the land in the aviary with perennial grasses, for example, clover or alfalfa. You can also use annuals (peas, oats, etc.). It is worth paying attention to the fact that it is necessary to equip a shade on the territory of the aviary. This is necessary so that the birds have the opportunity to hide from the sun's rays in the heat. The canopy can be equipped independently, or you can use trees or shrubs that grow on the territory of the aviary.

Important! In no case should you forget that the aviary should be closed from above with a net. This is necessary in order to avoid the attack of birds of prey on young chicks.

The territory of the enclosure must be fenced. For the construction of the fence, you can use a mesh netting or boards. The height of the fence should be high enough, within 1.5–2.0 m. This is necessary so that adults do not have the opportunity to fly over the fence.

Drawing up a preliminary design for a turkey house, calculating the necessary materials will help save money and time that needs to be spent on construction.

When building a turkey house with your own hands according to the above recommendations, breeding poultry will not cause a lot of trouble and costs. Turkeys will always be healthy and happy. They will provide a sufficient amount of dietary meat and nutritious eggs that are good for the human body.