Does anyone have turkeys AND chickens?

[ScoobyRoo]

We have a lot of chickens and my DH wants to get some turkeys. I'm reading that chickens can carry the parasite that causes the blackhead disease in turkeys. Supposedly there is an issue around here in our area where a lot of wild turkeys are dying from blackhead. Need to confirm that. Is there some way to treat the chickens to prevent passing the parasite or is this a gamble.? We would like to have some turkeys and geese along with our chickens and ducks. Any advice?
thanks!

 

[98 gt]

i will if they hatch... ive got 5 bourbon red turkey eggs in the bator right now...

 

[ScoobyRoo]

98 gt, Have you heard anything to the likes about not keeping chickens and turkeys together?? Is there any health measures that can be taken to prevent the blackhead disease from spreading to the turkeys. I need to do more research.
I know there are turkey owners out there----do any of you have chickens also?? What do you do??? Is it a gamble??? Turkeys will be pets unless a major change of attitude happens then, errr,,, you know what. Advice please.

 

[98 gt]

Not that I know of... I'm keeping mine seperate just because my chickens free range and the turkey won't because the number of wild turkey here, I don't want them to disappear

 

[ScoobyRoo]

Now that is something to think about. We live out in the country and have wild turkey here also. They even pass through our yard on occasions. Knowing that they grew up and fed here, maybe they will stay?? Need to ask that quetion and get answers from somebody.

 

[lil'chickies]

Mine are still babies, but my uncle raised turkeys, guineas, and chickens all free ranged. We both live in the country and have wild turkeys. I don't think he had a problem with them. He even had a pet tom that would follow him around and talk to him. When he stopped and talked or something he would take his jacket off and throw it over him. The tom would just sit there quietly until my uncle would take his jacket back, then start talking to him and following him around. Really cute to see a tough rancher with a pet turkey!!

BTW: Someone else on here said they would clip the hens wings, since they were the ones that would wander off to nest. The toms wouldn't go anywhere without the hens. Just an idea.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

The official advice is, if you want to raise turkeys, don't raise them with chickens. In reality, lots of people raise them together in family flocks.

If I was going to invest a lot of time and money in turkeys as a business or as a major breeding/showing hobby, I probably wouldn't have them together. As family pets, we're thinking about adding turkeys and would have them together.

Some people that have them together pay more attention to keeping the chickens wormed, since I think it's a chicken worm parasite that hosts the disease. That may be something for you to consider.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

Quote:
If you are tallking about the blackhead disease, to my understanding the parasite thrives in the chicken droppings and is in the ground, that is how turkeys get it. I have not read that you can vaccinate your chickens to prevent this. It is about sanitary conditions. Please educate me if I'm wrong. I'm really checking this out before I consider adding pet turkeys to my farm flock of chickens and ducks (and maybe geese)

 

[PoultryScienceAggie]

Blackhead is spread by earthworms in the ground. They travel from the chicken's pens into the turkeys area and the turkeys can ingest spores of it. I will look at my class notes and see what else it says about Blackhead.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

Quote:
I have read that the cecal worm eggs are in the soil and can 'also' be transfered by earthworms that 'eat' the cecal worm eggs. Which means the turkey eats the earthworm that has ingested the cecal worm that causes the blackhead disease. Correct me if I'm wrong on that.