Few questions about turkeys(first time owner)

[bigspringshatchery]

I've had chickens for about 6 years off and on and finally got back in more serious. Last year a guy gave me some royal palm turkey eggs and I hatched off about 15. And wow are they hard to raise. All died but 2 toms and a hen at week 7 of age. Not sure how or why. I love chickens but seeing 2 toms walk around the yard or in their pen strutting is beautiful. I attached 2 short videos of my toms. Plz tell me what you think of them. Do they have standards like chickens. Now on to my questions.

1. Will the toms get aggressive like roosters? Bc I don't wanna turn my back or anyone else on such a big bird and him come at me.

2. How is a hens laying and how long are the eggs fertile? I know a chicken egg is about 10 days but I thought I read somewhere that a turkey will lay a bunch of eggs then set.

3. Can a Tom and hen live in the same pen as hen chickens?

Thanks for yalls help.

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj130/HollyWood20_06/4e60441b.mp4

 

[MissD'uccle]

I'm sorry you had trouble with your poults but they are more frail than chicks by far. They can be sooo difficult sometimes!! I raise chickens and have a flock of royal palms. All this info is just in my experience, not gospel

My toms are much less aggressive than my roosters. Ive never had any of my boys attack anyone. Roosters are, of course, a different story!

In my experience I haven't had much luck with eggs older than a week. Someone with more experience may be able to give some of their knowledge, but Ive also heard shipping is harder on turkey eggs then chicken so perhaps the frailness is there also.

My turkey and chickens co-exsist in the same barn during the winter but not during breeding. I do know there are some diseases though that chickens are immune/resistant to that will wipe out turkey so just be aware

 

[Frosty]

I have never had difficulties raising turkeys, I treat them like chicks but with higher protein feed as babies. So now I have a few questions for you...

Did you start them in a brooder then move them outside? If so, how long after you moved them out did they start dying? Where there any symptoms? One in particular if you remember, what did the poop look like? Is there any chance it was yellow and runny? Here is a recent post from somebody in TN who just lost turkeys to what appears to be Black Head (histomoniasis) and it has some info if you read all of the posts https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=453118 A quick search and here is a post from somewhere else where somebody in North Alabama had problems with the same thing. There is a picture so if you lose anymore you can do a necropsy and look at the liver. http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=317224

Losing turkeys like that, at that age is saying that something isn't right. Look for symptoms, pay attention to poop and the turkeys themselves. If they get sick they will probably get listless, wings drooping, hunched up, etc... At this point I would recommend worming your flock if you haven't already done it.

Best of luck! And yes, a strutting tom is indeed a sight!