Keeping a turkey to protect chickens?

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AxelFlynn08

AxelFlynn08

Chirping
5 Years
May 4, 2014
136
1
71
If raised from chicks together, will a tom turkey protect a flock of chicken, or is it a dangerous, bad idea because they are different species?
 
o__o Oh my. Ok, thank you. When is breeding season so I know when to put him in a different area when I can't keep an eye on him?
 
AxelFlynn08 said:
o__o Oh my. Ok, thank you. When is breeding season so I know when to put him in a different area when I can't keep an eye on him?
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Turkey breeding season is normally in the spring as the days get longer. My toms were strutting all over the place beginning in February and have been breeding for at least 2 weeks now.
 
Also, if you have any roosters, the toms will fight them. I often have to separate the roosters from the toms. Last year one of the Bourbons almost killed one of my roosters, I found them fighting and by the time I reach them, the rooster was down for the count. He was badly bruised, his eyes were shut and had to keep him in a cage and hand feed him until he could see.
Like R2elk says, the tom will try to mount the chickens.
 
Hey, I just read your post and thought I would throw in my two cents. I have a small flock of birds,6 hens, two roos, and two turkeys (a tom and a hen). I git my turkeys as adult birds and slowly introduced them to the flock. They acclimated very well within weeks and now my tom does pretty much oversee the flock. He only mates with his hen and I have hatched 6 poults from them via a styrofoam incubator. I have read that this could be dangerous due to chickens transferring black head to the turkeys but we are going on a year and we live having turkeys. We have bourbon reds. They are beautiful birds and we live having them on the farm. We let then free range on two fenced acres.
 
I have a gorgeous bronze breath Tom with my 6 hens...no roos. He protects them like no other. No cats or hawks are touching my girls. Unfortunately I live in the city. I just had my first complaint about my Tom gobbling. Does anyone know if the No crow roo collar would work on a turkey? He's total pet status and I would rather not part with him. Any help is much appreciated
 

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