How to pick a female turkey? Can I keep one turkey in with my chickens

[cherrychicken]

Hello Everyone!
I was considering getting a turkey, but only one. First i want to know if turkeys are like chickens, in the aspect that the males are louder, less friendly (GENERALLY) etc... So basically if hens are better to keep, how do you pick a female turkey?
Also, I was wondering if keeping one female turkey with my 9 regular sized chickens would work?
Thanks!
Jenny

 

[ColbyNTX]

They will be fine with your chickens if blackhead is not a problem in your area. Toms are not as noisy as a rooster and have more personallity than chickens. As far as aggression goes, most toms are not that bad but sometimes you get that 1 that is just bad. I don't worry about any of my toms. They don't even bother my 3 year old son. A Tom will be more intertaining than a hen.

 

[cherrychicken]

Oh alright. What is blackhead?

 

[ColbyNTX]

It is a disease passed from chickens to turkeys. Google it and you will find a bunch of info. I doubt it is an issue in Santa Fe but you could call your county extention agent and ask. Most here have no problems with turkeys and chickens togather.

 

[Pampered Hen]

I would disagree on the noise from toms versus roosters. My tom gobbles all day long. He gobbles at any noise from any source plus he gobbles for gobble sake. I would say he is as noisy as a rooster with the only difference that his gobbling doesn't start at the wee hours of the morning. He generally is quiet once on he is on the roost and he seems to keep his gobbling to the outdoors.
I would not suggest keeping a single turkey with other poultry. Just like any type of fowl I thing they fare better within a group of their kind even if the flocks are mixed. A lone tom might even, out of desperation, fall "in love" with the chickens and his mounting attempts could be fatal for a much smaller bird.

 

[MoriahQuilts]

If you keep a turkey with chickens does it come into the hen house at night with them? And does the pop door need to be larger for the turkey?

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New to this chicken stuff: 5 Buff Orps, 5 EE, 2 Aus, 2 SLW, 1 new Narragansett, with new Golden Marans and 2 Copper Marans for turkey companions