- May 12, 2014
- 152
- 302
- 206
I have had chickens for 7 years and just got 3 blue slate turkeys this spring. I have 2 toms and a hen, plus 26 chickens all together. They have a 24'x24' night time predator proof pen with plenty of separate areas in it and things to climb up on. During the day they free range in a large fenced yard that surrounds the safe zone. I have found that 4ft welded wire fencing with T-posts has kept them contained really well, I think because they can't see the top edge? They could totally fly over it. I never clipped their wings.
I had a hawk attack in my fenced yard a couple weeks ago. I didn't see the whole thing, but I think my hen attacked the hawk when it was attacking the chickens and then it turned on her. She got plucked pretty bad. The hawk pulled almost all her wing and tail feathers out and she had a few big gashes on her. Amazingly, she healed up completely in about 5-6 days and now she's growing new feathers. The hawk was the size of a bantam chicken.
Recently, we've had a pine grouse hen hanging out in our yard. All 3 turkeys don't like it and they chase it away. The turkeys will also attack my pit bull, so maybe the stories of protective turkeys are true. I'm kind of leaning that way.
I raised meat birds (red broilers) this summer in a separate area, but occasionally a couple would get out. A few times I found a bloodied meat bird (no deaths) and my turkeys with red beaks. I think you just have to be careful mixing turkeys and chickens. My turkeys are fine with my laying hens, but at least I know how aggressive they can be, so I still keep a close eye on them.
Good luck on your turkey adventures!
I had a hawk attack in my fenced yard a couple weeks ago. I didn't see the whole thing, but I think my hen attacked the hawk when it was attacking the chickens and then it turned on her. She got plucked pretty bad. The hawk pulled almost all her wing and tail feathers out and she had a few big gashes on her. Amazingly, she healed up completely in about 5-6 days and now she's growing new feathers. The hawk was the size of a bantam chicken.
Recently, we've had a pine grouse hen hanging out in our yard. All 3 turkeys don't like it and they chase it away. The turkeys will also attack my pit bull, so maybe the stories of protective turkeys are true. I'm kind of leaning that way.
I raised meat birds (red broilers) this summer in a separate area, but occasionally a couple would get out. A few times I found a bloodied meat bird (no deaths) and my turkeys with red beaks. I think you just have to be careful mixing turkeys and chickens. My turkeys are fine with my laying hens, but at least I know how aggressive they can be, so I still keep a close eye on them.
Good luck on your turkey adventures!
