Roost for turkeys: how to build a barn with your own hands, dimensions and drawings, arrangement

In poultry houses for turkeys, perches are arranged so that birds can be on them in between other activities. Perches are made of durable materials, as the birds are large. Turkey houses should be equipped with poles stretching around the perimeter of the room. Each bird should be provided with free space. The design of the structure can be chosen taking into account the characteristics of the premises and the number of livestock.

Requirements for a turkey house

Turkey house - a building intended for the habitat of turkeys and turkeys. Birds of this species are much larger than chickens and ducks, so the space for their maintenance should take into account these features.Experienced farmers advise building a separate poultry house for turkeys, not keeping them together with other types of poultry.

A homemade poultry house option is shown in the video:

There are a number of requirements for the construction of a turkey house:

1. Indoor air temperature is between -5 and +23. In this case, the humidity level is set at an indicator from 60 to 65 percent. Violation of the conditions associated with setting the temperature regime or the humidity indicator leads to an increase in the number of diseases among the livestock.
2. Inside they provide dryness, lack of through winds, as a constant draft provokes a cold in a bird. At the same time, ventilation should be provided, and the room should be regularly ventilated to get rid of the stagnant smell.
3. The space of the turkey house is divided into 2 sections: for males and females. Each section has a separate exit.
4. Inside the turkey house, sanitary and hygienic conditions are created that meet the basic requirements. Bedding and nests are cleaned several times a week, making sure that bedding materials remain dry.
5. Attention is paid to the lighting device. Additional light lamps are hung under the ceiling of the poultry house, as during winter and autumn, birds are recommended to extend daylight hours to 12-13 hours.
6. The turkey house is provided with facilities for drinking and feeding. They must be installed at a height comfortable for the birds. Each turkey enjoys free access to drinkers throughout the day.
7. Perches and nests occupy a separate space. A strong staircase usually leads to the nest if it is on a hill. Perches are provided with the expectation that each bird has a free space.
8. Adult turkeys need to equip manholes between sections. Holes in the walls are additionally processed, irregularities, notches are removed and polished with a planer if necessary.
9. When building a poultry house, they provide for a separate vestibule designed to keep the heat inside, and also attach a paddock nearby so that the birds have the opportunity to go outside in the warm season.

Attention! Young and adult birds are kept separately from each other.

An example of a turkey house is shown in the video:

Where is the best place to place?

The turkey house is placed on a piece of land near other buildings.

This protects the walls of the poultry house from drafts, prevents the decrease in indoor temperatures. A place for a poultry house is chosen according to the following criteria:

• flat terrain;
• lack of high-lying groundwater;
• tilt exception;
• elimination of height differences between sections.

Information! Birds are able to fly over small obstacles if they are frightened by noise or other pets.

Required tools and materials

Durable wood is used for poultry houses. Before construction, the wood is carefully checked, the use of materials with defects or damage is excluded. The premises are placed on the foundation, for this you will need various materials. Checklist:

• log boards;
• poles;
• material for pouring the foundation, laying floors;
• rebar;
• sand and water for cementing;
• waterproofing material;
• pipes;
• metal corners.

Tools you will need for construction:

• measuring devices;
• construction tools;
• shovel.

Project and drawings

Before building, it is necessary to design the room on paper. In this case, the age characteristics of the group of birds should be taken into account.

For turkeys

Chicks are housed separately from adults. For 5 turkeys, 1 square meter is enough. This means that up to 30 chicks fit in a 6 square meter room.

The turkey house for chicks is built in advance, with a small aviary for walking.Experienced breeders advise not to increase the height of the walls, but to make the room low. This method helps to save energy and reduces the cost of heating the room. It should be borne in mind that for young animals, the temperature in the room is maintained 5-10 degrees warmer than in the territory of the turkey house for adult birds.

For adult turkeys

Adults need more space. In addition, perches and nests must be built for an adult bird.

The turkey house for keeping an adult bird is built with a vestibule. The vestibule is the space that is located in front of the entrance to the main room. The presence of the vestibule helps to keep the heat inside the main house, prevents cold air from penetrating inside when the door is opened, which is especially important when the air temperature drops outside.

Construction recommendations based on quantity

To place the livestock inside the turkey house, it is recommended to focus on the number of heads. Small turkey houses assume the placement of one species, on an industrial scale they build premises that are designed to accommodate several types of birds.

100 heads

For 100 heads, a room is being built in which the birds will be constantly, so each bird is given more space. For 100 heads, a room of 240 square meters will be needed.

50 heads

For the maintenance of 50 heads, the area of the room is 2 times smaller, that is, 120 square meters. It is recommended to build a turkey house with 2 sections and separate paddocks from different sides.

20 heads

20 heads will need an area of 48 square meters intended for maintenance. At the same time, it is necessary to provide 30 square meters for walking the birds nearby.

10 heads

For 10 heads it is enough to build a room with an area of 24 square meters, for walking at the same time provide 15 square meters. You can place 10 heads together with other types of birds, but it is necessary to provide separate sections for each type.

Building a room with your own hands

In a household environment, a turkey house is built independently. The foundation floor is made the basis for the capital structure. For temporary placement, you can put collapsible structures.

Foundation and floor

For the new premises, it is necessary to pour the foundation. In the old barn, which is chosen for keeping turkeys, it is imperative to insulate and strengthen the floors.

The foundation is poured in stages:

1. Dig a trench 0.5 meters wide. The site is marked with a rope and dug-in pegs.
2. At the bottom of the excavated trench lay gravel or sand. The bookmark layer is made at least 15 centimeters.
3. A formwork 30 centimeters high is installed above the ground.
4. In the trench, reinforcement is installed and fixed with wire with formwork.
5. Step by layer prepared concrete is poured into the trench.
6. To prevent the formation of voids, they make a rammer. The last layer of filling is leveled using special tools.

After the concrete has completely hardened, proceed to the construction of the floor. To do this, the concrete is covered with a layer of bitumen, then the boards are laid according to the scheme.

Walls and roof

The walls are built of wood or timber. The room can be built of brick, but it should be borne in mind that the material needs additional processing.

If the house is made of boards, then before using the material, it is checked for defects. The wood for the walls is stained with special compounds so that mold does not develop after construction, which has a detrimental effect on the he alth of the birds kept. The most popular option, which is chosen during the construction of walls, is the frame assembly. This is a quick and economical way to build.

The roof is covered with any available material, but it is better not to save on insulation and vapor barrier. These methods help to keep warm in winter indoors. Vapor barrier for a turkey house is required, as a lot of moisture will come from the birds in the process of life.

Attention! Builders recommend insulating the walls of the house with mineral wool.

Windows and doors

In the turkey house it is necessary to make a window opening. For a small room, it is customary to cut through a window next to the door. For a room that is designed for 25-30 heads, 2 or more windows are made. All door and window openings are additionally insulated with mineral wool.

Besides this, birds need manholes. Manholes are openings that involve the movement of birds from one room to another through prepared and processed holes in the walls. Manholes are made at a small height from the floor, small steps are attached to them.

A finished turkey house might look like this:

Arrangement of the poultry house

The ready-made poultry house is equipped taking into account the characteristics of the content. To get the maximum profit from the livestock, it is necessary to create conditions that are comfortable for the growth and development of turkeys.

Lighting, heating and ventilation

Turkeys provide up to 13 hours of light. This is necessary so that the birds gain weight and do not become infected with infectious diseases.

In summer, turkeys get plenty of light outdoors, and in winter they get artificial lighting indoors.

Table for turning on electricity in a turkey house:

Winter	Summer
from 6 am to full dawn and from 6 pm to 11 pm	On cloudy days a few hours, and also in the evenings, after 22 hours

Information! The optimal indicator is 10 watts per 1 square meter.

Ventilation is arranged according to the type of flow-exhaust installation. Pipes must be located at different levels.

Built-in ventilation system is required when keeping foreign breeds. Features of local breeds make it possible to keep them in the presence of windows with vents located on different walls of the house.

Turkeys are resistant to low temperatures. An indicator that is not considered critical is -3 or -5 degrees. If the air temperature drops, the birds can get sick. To ensure a comfortable temperature, special heating devices are provided in the turkey house.

Arrangement of perches and nests

Perches for turkeys must be strong. The weight of the birds varies from 4 to 15 kilograms, so the materials used should be oriented towards this.

One adult turkey should be provided with 0.4 to 0.5 meters per roost. Most often, perches are built in the form of a ladder structure. This means that the lowest step is at the minimum allowed height from the floor level, and the highest step can be under the ceiling of the room.

The lowest perch pole for young animals, if it is not contained in cages, is set at a height of 0.5 meters from the floor. The maximum allowable height for arranging a perch is 1.2 meters.

Turkey nests are made from wooden boxes. A convenient option for keeping livestock is the construction of nests in the form of a beehive. This means that the boxes are located side by side on top of each other. A small staircase leads to each crate.

Nest example:

Litters are placed inside the nests, which are periodically changed. Turkeys are clean and tidy while hatching chicks, they do not like it when strangers approach them, so you should clean the nests especially carefully and carefully.

Installation of feeders and drinkers

Drinkers and feeders are installed 40 centimeters from the floor. Material for feeders and drinkers may be different. The modern approach suggests that feeders and drinkers can be equipped from scraps of plastic hollow pipes.

Before installation, the feeders are disinfected with a solution of manganese permanganate, after installation, the cleanliness of the containers is monitored daily.

Information! For young turkeys, it is important to make feeders and drinkers at such a level that the chick cannot get wet, as this leads to the subsequent death of the turkey.

Features of the arrangement of the premises for turkey poults

In the first weeks of life, turkeys are kept in a brooder. This is a special small space made of a wooden frame and mesh with obligatory lighting.

The lamp that is installed inside provides the necessary indicators of lighting and temperature.

An example is shown in the video:

The floor of the brooder is covered with bedding or covered with sand. Bedding or sand is changed daily. From the second week of life, sawdust can be used as bedding, which are scalded with boiling water in advance. Turkey feeders should be soft and secure so that the chick cannot get hurt.

Help! The placement density is calculated by the formula: 5 chicks per 1 square meter.

Walking is planned from the third week of existence. For walking use a specially fenced area. Small perches up to 15 centimeters high from the ground are installed on the walking area. There should be 10 centimeters of free space per chick per roost.

Creating an aviary for walking

Some breeds of turkeys need a mandatory regular walking. To do this, a corral is built next to the turkey house, which is specially enclosed with a fence 1.7-2 meters high.Turkeys are able to rise into the air when danger approaches or at unexpected noise. They can fly over a low barrier and be out of sight of the owner. One of the options for arranging walking is to create a territory closed from above. To create a roof, use durable polyethylene or thin poles.

Information! The top of the fence is reinforced with wooden boards and folded inward to prevent overshoot.

The aviary is built from mesh materials. Such walls let air in and create a feeling of open space. When calculating the area of the paddock for walking, it is taken into account that one turkey needs 1.5 meters of free space.

Birds should be able to return to the turkey house to perch, so the paddock and the main room are connected in an open way.

A possible option is shown in the video:

The purpose of walking is to give the turkeys access to additional food sources.Breeders recommend making pen designs portable. This will allow the fence to be moved to another location after the area is no longer usable. Turkeys eat grass on the range, get insects.

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