Baby Turkeys...

[neenerbutt92]

I have three little turkeys about three weeks old. I am very afraid they are going to get blackhead, I've gotten extremely paranoid from reading about it. When they are old enough they will be with my free range chickens. Is there anyway I can tell if my chickens have it? Any advice?

Thank you!

 

[OmaBird]

I have had turkeys with chickens for 10 years. I have not had one case of blackhead. I know other have no problem either. In my case I think it is because I live in a dry climate and infertle soil. Worms do not like to live here. I don't know the reason others can do it without problems, but they do.

 

[lilchick]

My turkeys live and free range with chickens and have no problems with illness.
I read about not mixing them but did anyway and it has worked out fine......

 

[ColbyNTX]

Chances are, you won't have a problem. Call your county extention agent and ask if it has been a problem in your area. I hatch, raise and freerange them all togather.

 

[neenerbutt92]

That makes me feel a little better. But, one of my little Sweetgrass poults just died.

All I have left now is a Silver Dapple and a little Palm poult.... I did have two Sweetgrass but they both died.

 

[PatS]

Baby turkeys can be a little difficult. I lost two out of my first batch, as well. We kept ours separate from the chickens until they were about 6 weeks old. They haven't caught anything from the chickens, but we are having some problems with bullying because the turks are so big.

If you don't have blackhead in your area, you are safe. It isn't a problem where I am, and we're in an area that gets normal rainfall (35-40"/yr.)

Good luck with your turkeys, they are cute birds!

 

[boxermom]

All mine live together. I called the extension office and they had never heard of blackhead so I figured I was safe. I'm picky about my poults though. They don't integrate until they are 8 wks old. This year, I let one batch out before then because it was so hot. I was very nervous. I didn't have any problems, but I won't make it a habit.

 

[49erjohns]

CHANCES ARE YOU WELL HAVE A PROBLEM. Never mix turkeys and chickens together! Never house turkeys where checkens have been. Chickens are natural carriers of blackhead. Turkeys eat droppings and enjoy them no matter who left them if trained not to. The way I train my turkeys not to is by putting them on hardware cloth as soon as I get them. Once they are ready to get out of the brooder they go on saw dust. When I was living with my parents I could not raise a turkey past a few months old. My parents always had chickens. Once we got rid of the chickens and cleaned up I had no problrms. As a matter of fact, two years ago, my biggest tom weighted 80 pounds. We got the day old bronze turkeys from Ridgeway Hatchery, a great place to buy chicks. Good luck with your three. JOHN

 

[doubleostud]

I second what everyone else has said, most of my chickens, ducks, and turkeys live together and free range together, and I have never had any problem.

 

[SED]

My turkeys have always lived with my chickens. No problems at all. Like it has been said, if blackhead is not on your area, i would not worry about it. Chickens would have to come into contact with the disease first. Turkeys may acquire the blackhead organism directly from the droppings of infected birds. It is most often transmitted to turkeys in the eggs of a second parasite, the cecal worm, commonly found in both chickens and turkeys. It may also be transmitted by earthworms that accidentally eat the cecal worm eggs. The cecal worm larva released from the egg and the blackhead parasite within that larva may remain in the earthworm for a year of more. When chickens or turkeys eat infected earthworms, the cecal worm larvae containing the blackhead parasites are released and a blackhead infection may result.

Be cautious and attentive, not paranoid. Hope yhis helps. Enjoy raising them!