Your results will appear here.
Enter your values and press Calculate.
Enter the flock size, the age in weeks, whether the flock is hens, toms, or mixed, and the temperature band, to meet your turkey drinking water requirements. The calculator returns water per bird per day, flock water per day in litres and gallons, and flock water per week. These are planning estimates from published breeder tables, not a substitute for watching your own flock: a sudden rise or fall in water use is often the first sign of heat stress or disease.
Turkey water intake by age rises steeply in the first weeks and then levels off. This calculator uses base rates drawn from a breeder water consumption card: about 0.06 L per bird per day in week 1, 0.30 L by week 5, 0.68 L by week 10, 0.85 L by week 15, and 0.98 L by week 20 for hens, with toms higher. Hen vs tom water intake matters: toms drink about 15 percent more than hens at the same age, so a mixed flock uses the average factor of 1.075.
Worked example: how much water do 10 turkeys drink per day at 10 weeks, mixed, normal temperature? Each bird drinks about 0.73 L, so 10 birds drink 7.31 L per day, or about 1.93 gallons. A second example: 20 turkeys at 10 weeks, mixed, normal temperature drink 14.62 L per day, 3.86 gallons, and 102.34 L per week. Turkey water consumption liters per day by week is the table behind the calculator, and the temperature factor adjusts it for heat.
Use this turkey water consumption table per 1000 birds to check the calculator against the published source, and use the per bird column for small flocks.
| Age | Per bird per day, hen (L) | Per 1000 birds per day (L) | | Week 1 | 0.06 | 60 | | Week 5 | 0.30 | 300 | | Week 10 | 0.68 | 680 | | Week 15 | 0.85 | 850 | | Week 20 | 0.98 | 980 |
A second published table, per 1000 birds in gallons at 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit, runs from 15 gallons in week 1 to 166 gallons for hens and 202 gallons for toms in week 10, and 266 gallons for toms in week 20. The two tables agree closely once gallons are converted, which is why the calculator can show both litres and gallons with confidence. Do turkeys drink twice as much water as feed? As a rule, yes: turkeys drink about twice the weight of feed they eat, or about 1 quart of water per pound of feed, which is a useful cross-check on any feed figure.
Turkey water intake in hot weather rises sharply, then falls if heat stress shuts activity down. Published corrections add about 15 percent at 21 to 25 degrees Celsius, 25 percent at 26 to 30 degrees, and 40 percent above 30 degrees, while one table adds 20 percent for every 5 degrees Fahrenheit rise between 75 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. This calculator simplifies those corrections into warm (1.15) and hot (1.25) factors, so a hot day adds a quarter to the normal figure.
How many gallons of water do turkeys need per day in heat? Take the normal gallons figure and add a quarter for hot weather, then add a safety margin for spillage and for the hottest part of the day. Keep water cool, clean, and potable, because warm, stale water cuts intake exactly when birds need it most. Turkey waterer size for 20 turkeys should hold at least a full day of water at the hot weather rate, with a second waterer as backup, so a failure never leaves the flock dry.
How often do turkeys need water? At all times, with no gaps. Poults must be taught to drink on arrival and kept dry, because wet, chilled poults die quickly, while adult turkeys drink through the day and more when laying. What is the best waterer for turkeys? A hanging waterer at back height keeps water clean and stops bedding from fouling it, with a large open waterer as a second option for adult birds.
How much water does a laying turkey hen drink? More than a non-laying hen, with a clear spike during lay, which is why laying flocks need a larger waterer and more frequent refills. Why is my turkey drinking more water than usual? Heat, salty feed, laying, and disease all raise intake, while a sudden drop in intake is also a warning sign. If water use jumps or falls sharply with no weather explanation, check feed, temperature, and bird health the same day.
From about 0.06 L per poult per day in week 1 to about 0.98 L per hen per day by week 20, with toms about 15 percent higher. Use this calculator for your flock size, age, and temperature.
At all times. Turkeys should never run out of water, and poults must be shown water on arrival. Refill at least daily, and more often in heat.
A hanging waterer at back height keeps water clean and stops bedding fouling. For adult flocks, add a second large open waterer as backup, and size the total to hold a full hot day of water.
Yes, as a rule. Turkeys drink about twice the weight of feed they eat, or about 1 quart of water per pound of feed. If your water figure is far from twice your feed figure, check both.
More than a non-laying hen, with a spike during lay. Plan on the upper end of the age rate for laying hens, and refill more often during the laying season.
Heat, salty feed, laying, and disease are the common causes. A sudden rise or fall in water use with no weather explanation is a warning sign: check feed, temperature, and bird health the same day.
Turkey poult water intake starts tiny, about 0.06 L per bird per day in week 1, then rises fast. Teach poults to drink on arrival, keep them dry, and use shallow waterers they cannot fall into.
At 10 weeks, mixed, normal temperature, about 3.86 gallons per day. In hot weather, plan on about 4.83 gallons, plus a margin for spillage.