The past few weeks we have been working on creating a pasture that is outfitted specifically for the turkeys. In the past, we have rotated turkeys among a few pastures, but having one set up just for them will provide them more space and allow us to take better care of them and keep them safer. We will still rotate them around this larger pasture by moving their feed, shelter, and water. Our new turkey-land project will allow us to address several specific challenges to raising turkeys outside on pasture.
One issue of concern is a disease called Blackhead. Chickens can potentially be a carrier of Blackhead, but it is not problematic to the chicken. However, if you run turkeys on a pasture that has previously housed chickens, the turkeys can become infected with this disease and a large percentage of the flock will likely die. Having a dedicated turkey pasture will allow us to have a safe place to house our turkeys on pasture without concern. We will still be able to layer production on this pasture by grazing cattle through there every so often, but we will not be raising any chickens there.
Another concern that will be quelled with a dedicated pasture is the threat that predators present to the turkeys. We are installing a fence that is tightly woven in an effort to keep out as many ground-based predators as possible. Turkeys are protected in pasture shelters until they get to roughly the size of an adult chicken. Then, due to their need for lots of space, they are transitioned to an open range model. In the open range model, they are at least old enough to roost high and somewhat fend for themselves, but we need to do as much as we can to limit the ground assault.
After raising these birds for several years, we have a pretty good idea of what their needs are. They can be quite finicky. These past few weeks have been a fun challenge, as we try to create a natural pastured environment where they can thrive while living their best turkey life.
