Even if you raise them on pasture, turkeys will need some type of shelter in place to protect them from extreme weather conditions and predators. A car port or open-sided shelter may be used; however, a more open structure will increase the birds' vulnerability to predation. Consider a shelter that they may be corralled and closed into for the night.

The general consensus is that adult turkeys need 6 square feet per bird; the minimum is 3 square feet.

Give your birds a way to roost. Perches should be constructed inside the shelters and built all on the same level to prevent the birds from squabbling and competing for the highest perch.

Perches should be approximately 15 to 30 inches off the ground and at least 24 inches apart. Allow roughly 10 to 15 inches of perch space per bird in the flock.

As an added measure for sanitation purposes, you may want to build a chicken wire framed barrier with a covered top six inches below the roosts to keep the birds from getting into their droppings.

Ventilation is crucial with any type of housing or shelter. Make sure any shelter your turkeys have is properly outfitted with good ventilation to prevent build-up of ammonia from their waste.

If you are raising birds on pasture, good fencing will be your first line of defense.

Place shelters in the corners of pastures for maximum usage of space.

Do not place shelters close to the fence, as the birds may try to use the shelter as a launch site to fly over the fencing. Keep in mind that heritage breeds can fly up to areas they can roost in, which may lead them to escape. Commercial breeds do not have the ability to fly but may escape if they have structures they can jump from.

Feed availability is crucial in the first 48 hours to the first week. The more feed they have in their gut, the bigger the gut will be later in life, therefore the more efficiently they can take in nutrients and grow. An empty gut can leave your turkeys open to bacteria.

Check on crop fill (just rub a thumb over it) the first couple of days or if your birds are having health issues to make sure the crop is full and pudding like. If you have a bunch of empty, gassy, or hard crops, you may have issues.

The feed must be a high protein (28%) feed and grower grit. Quail starter feed with 28% protein is also a good feed. Consider using a medicated feed for your turkeys, as this will help build immunity to common health issues.

Grower feed needs to be fed for around 3 weeks. During the fourth week, gradually change the feed over to a 21% protein feed for the remainder of the growing season.

At the start of the fourth week, you can put your birds out on pasture. You can either let them free range or put them in a mobile pen.

Turkeys like all types of clover and 8-10-inch-tall grass. Turkeys can also eat any fruit and/or vegetable scraps from your garden. They love watermelon and cantaloupe. Do not feed them meat. Feed that contains animal byproducts, such as bone meal, are fine as long as the byproducts are not from turkeys.