Ensure Secure Night Shelter

Lock turkeys inside a predator-proof coop every night from dusk to dawn. The shelter needs solid walls, a secure roof, hardware cloth over all ventilation openings, and latches that raccoons cannot open. Most predation of free-range turkeys happens at night.

Why It Works

Turkeys are nearly defenseless after dark and cannot see well enough to evade predators. Foxes, raccoons, owls, and coyotes are most active between dusk and dawn. A properly built shelter with 1/2-inch hardware cloth, a solid floor or predator apron, and two-step latches eliminates nighttime losses almost entirely.

Tips

• Install a predator apron of hardware cloth extending 12-18 inches outward around the coop base to stop digging predators
• Use two-step latches or carabiner clips -- raccoons can open simple hook-and-eye latches
• Allow 6-8 square feet per turkey inside the shelter to prevent overcrowding stress