can turkey be housed with chickens?

[fyrwmn66]

I recently took in a large white turkey from a social services organization that could no longer care for it ( it had an injury on its neck and was being attacked by other animals they had onsite) I have a coop that houses chickens and guineas. The guineas and chickens are free range on our property during the day, then return to the coop at night for lock down. Currently I am having this turkey in our garage until its wounds heal, but afterward I was wondering if it can be housed with the others in the coop? Ive never had a turkey and am at a loss as to what to do

 

[LlamaGirl4]

I’m not an expert so don’t take my word. Turkeys need lots of space. Do you have enough space? If your chickens get along with the turkey they should be fine

 

[EK1955]

I have 8 adult turkeys with my chickens. The generally get along well with the chickens. My oldest female (6 yrs), Ms T, sometimes picks fights with my roosters & chases them around the yard. One of my youngest T hen hatched her 1st today. She was raised with the chickens since a polt last year.

 

[fyrwmn66]

Hmmm ty EK1955....that’s helpful .. this turkey really is a sweetie .. but huge ! Lol .. from my understanding the people that had her got her by mistake .. she was mixed in with a bunch of chicks .. and raised with chickens .. till some turned on her .. when I agreed to take her in, I was expecting a small young turkey .. but she is like the size of 3 chickens ! Lol .. and not sure if she’d fit in the coop .. then I started doing some reading and everything I read says they can not be housed with chickens due to dust , etc .. but part of me wants to try .. I’m fairly certain if I find a “home” for her she would only wind up in an oven

 

[R2elk]

Hmmm ty EK1955....that’s helpful .. this turkey really is a sweetie .. but huge ! Lol .. from my understanding the people that had her got her by mistake .. she was mixed in with a bunch of chicks .. and raised with chickens .. till some turned on her .. when I agreed to take her in, I was expecting a small young turkey .. but she is like the size of 3 chickens ! Lol .. and not sure if she’d fit in the coop .. then I started doing some reading and everything I read says they can not be housed with chickens due to dust , etc .. but part of me wants to try .. I’m fairly certain if I find a “home” for her she would only wind up in an oven

It sounds like you may have gotten a broad breasted white turkey. If that is the case, she will need special handling, exercise and proper feed to have any kind of extended life.

I do not recommend raising turkeys with chickens but I do have my turkeys and chickens sharing the same run and coop. I do have lots of room except when all of them crowd into the coop at the same time. They have a run that is 50' wide and 100' in length which at the worst allows 500 sq. ft. per adult turkey. The chickens get shut in the coop at night and have their own roosts. The turkeys spend the night in the run on their own roosts.

If you are not sure if the turkey will even fit in the coop, you do not have enough room for her. Even in my spacious run, there are times when a turkey will go after a chicken. Fortunately there are lots of obstacles and hiding places allowing the chickens to get away.