Can you keep a lone turkey hen with chickens?

[paigemn]

Yeah we’re right by the UP if anyone’s near there. We’re going to keep looking for now. Hopefully we can find one.

 

[R2elk]

Yeah we’re right by the UP if anyone’s near there. We’re going to keep looking for now. Hopefully we can find one.

If I remember correctly, @oldhenlikesdogs is in Wisconsin.

You can find your state's thread in the Where am I? Where are you! forum. Here is the Wisconsin "Cheeseheads" thread.

 

[paigemn]

Thank you!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'm in the center of the state, so I would be a long way to go too. Turkeys are harder to find in Wisconsin. I very seldom see them at swap meets, and never at feed stores. I occasionally see them on Craig's list. Hopefully you can find one or two so you don't end up with the same issue again.

 

[paigemn]

Yeah I’m having a really hard time finding a turkey. I found one person who will only sell us a Tom which we don’t want. And another person who will only sell us a hen if we buy a tom with it. I just can’t risk a tom with my chickens.

 

[R2elk]

Yeah I’m having a really hard time finding a turkey. I found one person who will only sell us a Tom which we don’t want. And another person who will only sell us a hen if we buy a tom with it. I just can’t risk a tom with my chickens.

As long as the tom has hen turkeys of his own, the chickens should be safe.

 

[paigemn]

Would one hen be enough for a tom or would we have to get two?

 

[R2elk]

Would one hen be enough for a tom or would we have to get two?

Two hens would be a whole lot better than one. I try to keep a minimum of 4 to 5 hens for one tom.

 

[paigemn]

We might get a tom with a hen if I can’t find a lone hen. If I do that I think I might want a separate coop built for them though just in case.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

We might get a tom with a hen if I can’t find a lone hen. If I do that I think I might want a separate coop built for them though just in case.

Just because you current turkey hen doesn't bother your chickens doesn't mean any new ones won't. My turkey hens chase and harass my chickens and ducks whenever I let them out of their pen. I'm pretty sure I would find some dead birds if I didn't keep my turkeys separately, so getting your turkeys their own pen would be a good idea.