By: John Daniel
Period 4 Engineering
Mr. Cady
My Turkey Background
A couple of years ago, my family had blue slate turkeys. We had 15 turkeys
to house (not counting the one who killed itself in the electric fence). We
didn’t lock them up because they like to wander. We put them in the barn and
closed the doors. They got out first thing in the morning and would stand on
the window sills and squawk at us. They would also annoy my dad by flying
up onto the roof of our house. If they could get down it would be fine, but
they are so incredibly stupid that they run around squawking and panicking
until someone throws them off the roof (my dad). Their wandering led to their
downfall as they slowly started going missing. 8 of them ended up getting
eaten by coyotes and other predators. The need to confine them at night and
,if possible, during the day became apparent too late.
My Charge
When my I enrolled in engineering, my mom
told me to design a turkey coop. I was reluctant
and enjoyed making spaceships and other
miscellaneous designs. When this project
came around, I realized that I could create a
turkey pen. With this in mind, I set out to make
a design for a turkey coop. I had to take into
mind the fact that turkeys like to wander.
Because the minimum order for turkeys is 16
birds, I had to make my coop big enough to
accommodate them. The final coop is 12 feet
by 16 feet by 8 feet tall. This is enough for 16
turkeys plus some more.
My Materials
2 12’ x 16’ sheets of plywood (12 sheets
of 4’ x 8’)
 14 4’ x 8’ sheets of plywood
 14 8’ long 2x6 boards
 20 1.5’ long 2x4 boards (will be cut)
 4 16’ long 2x4 boards (8 8’ long 2x4’s)
 6 3’ long 2x4 boards
 40 3.5” long 1x2 boards (will be cut)

12’ x 16’ plywood
Dimensions:
12’ x 16’ x
19/32” thick
Will be
replaced with
6 sheets of 4’
x 8’ per sheet
of 12’ x 16’
plywood with
2x4 boards
for support.
4’ x 8’ plywood
Dimensions:
4’ x 8’ x
19/32” thick
Price: $10.47 per sheet
8’ long 2x6 boards
Dimensions
: 8’ long x
2”x 6”
Price: $5.97 per board
1.5’ 2x4 boards
Dimensions:
1.5’ long x 2” x
4”
Will be cut
from 2 16’
long 2x4
boards.
16’ long 2x4 boards
Dimensions:
16’ long x 2”
x 4”
Can be
replaced by
2 8’ long
2x4’s per 16’
foot long
board.
Price: $8.97 per board
3’ long 2x4 boards
Dimensions:
3’ long x 2” x
4”
Will be cut
from a 12’ long
2x4 and an 8’
long 2x4
board.
Price: $5.97/$3.49
($9.46 total)
3.5” long 1x2 boards
Dimensions:
3.5” long x 1”
x 2”
Will be cut
from a 8’ long
1x2 board.
Price: $0.82 for
each 8’ long
board
Overall Design Description













12’ x 16’ x 8’ tall
4 roosts
Wood shavings on the floor
4 roosting hay bales
Can house 20-25 turkeys
Will be on wheels
Will have a trailer hitch
Will have 2 water containers and 3
food containers bought from a
livestock store (Murdochs).
Will have air vents so turkeys can
breathe when the door is closed
and don’t suffocate
Door will have an animal proof bolt
Will be portable
Will need to be parked near an
electrical socket in the winter for
heaters to work.
The walls could be composed of
chicken wire instead of plywood if
not meant for winters.
Total Price







36 4’x8’ sheets of plywood for $10.47=$376.92
14 8’ long 2x6 boards for $5.97=$83.58
8 16’ long 2x4 boards for $8.97=$71.76
1 12’ long 2x4 board for $5.97
1 8’ long 2x4 board for $3.49
2 8’ long 1x2 boards for $0.82=$1.64
Total Price: $543.36 (not including wheels,
trailer hitch, food, water, birds, hay bales,
screws, drill, screw driver, nails, heater, bolts,
hinges, and tax)
Thank You (From the Birds)