can I throw a turkey in with my hens?

[freshegg]

my 4 turkeys are in with the chickens and are fine 2 of them I just got 2 weeks ago and 1 new one is a tom. he gobbles everytime he heres something but its not loud or annoying its pretty. the older girls I have bark like the dogs but not loud either. They are eating chickens layer pellets which a few locals said is fine. Im breeding them so fast growth isnt a concern for me. In my oppinion if a neighbor was to complain about a turkey noise they must be real jerks. Turkeys are much messier than chickens and there poo stinks so alot more raking the run.

 

[chickensioux]

I too keep a tom in with my 16 hens without any issues. He does strut for them but that's about all. I have also found that since he has been in with the hens, my hawk issue stopped.

 

[sandspoultry]

Quote:
Kim,
You might have a new craze going there. "Flatened Chicken". Just think of the marketing angle? "they don't use much feed at all" , "no more mess under the roost" , "when you are done looking at them you just put them on a bookshelf like a book" The only downside I can see is they might not lay very well.

Steve

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Quote:
LOL Yes I can see it now. They would have to lay small brick like eggs. It wouldn't be a bad thing though! Just like those square watermelons, they save on space and storage! No more bulky egg crates in your fridge, just stacks the flattened chicken eggs up and you're ready to go.

-Kim

 

[sandspoultry]

not only that, think of the freezer space you would save!

 

[walkswithdog]

Chuckle -- flattened chicken. That's sooo bad.

There isn't a blackhead problem here so my chickens and my turkeys live together. They have separate coops but some days they don't cooperate at night and I have some in either.

As to the Tom beating up chickens?? No way, Algernon kicks Jake, the tom's, butt ever day just to prove he can. Algernon is my Barred Rock. Jake is a whimp. He makes some noise though. He only tries to breed his hens. I happen to love the noise the turkeys make.

I enjoy both, they're quite different, mine are fine together.

 

[cariboujaguar]

Quote:
I thought those were just chickens with bare necks that resembled turkeys...

 

[pips&peeps]

Turkeys are notorious for carrying MG otherwise known as CRD and will pass it to your chickens.

 

[sandspoultry]

Quote:
I thought those were just chickens with bare necks that resembled turkeys...

You are correct turkens are a breed of chickens not a turkey/ chicken cross.

Steve in NC

 

[OCchickens]

Thanks everyone for all this info on turkeys!!

This is a really dumb question, but hens are raised for eating too, right?? At what age can you determine it's a hen rather than a tom, and at what age do the toms start gobbling? (or should I say at how many pounds do they start gobbling?)