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My understanding is that chickens carry blackhead but don't suffer from it. They pass it in their faeces to the ground where it is absorbed by earthworms. Worms also carry it but don't suffer from it. It can remain in the ground for years, ready to infect a foraging turkey. I imagine that mixed or adjacent chicken and turkey coops may also spread the disease to turkeys.
None of this seems to prevent people from mixed turkeys with other poultry and even letting chickens hatch turkey eggs and brood poults. I suppose that the risk is not geographically universal.
My understanding is that chickens carry blackhead but don't suffer from it. They pass it in their faeces to the ground where it is absorbed by earthworms. Worms also carry it but don't suffer from it. It can remain in the ground for years, ready to infect a foraging turkey. I imagine that mixed or adjacent chicken and turkey coops may also spread the disease to turkeys.
None of this seems to prevent people from mixed turkeys with other poultry and even letting chickens hatch turkey eggs and brood poults. I suppose that the risk is not geographically universal.
