I have six chickens but I want to get a single Tom Turkey as a pet

[GhostGirlShannon]

Hello! I'm a newbie here but I have been reading your formus for a year now getting advice from a lot of you great people on how to take care of my 6 chickens.

I live in Massachusetts and currently have a great 6 foot high steel chain link fence covered by chicken wire on the top. The run is 20 feet by 20 feet. I have a 4 x 6 foot chicken coop and a few feet away I have a 3 x 4 turkey house with Roost. I want to get one tom turkey to pal around with and he will stay alone and his own separate house in the evening but share the chicken run during the day.

I have a couple of concerns that you guys can help me with possibly. I want to make sure he's not going to harm my chickens if I get one that is roughly around 10 weeks old and handle it every day. I have read here that he may take a liking to having friends around but will he be okay going by himself in his house at night? Massachusetts Winters can get cold. Are there any breeds better than others for hardiness?

Any advice is appreciated

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to BYC!
We are glad you joined our flock!
I can't help with your turkey wants, sorry.
This video will help you learn how to navigate this site:

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[TheTwoRoos]

From ingnerel reading as I am new to turkeys as well,they need friend,getting a single turkey,escpecially a tom isn’t a good idea.He will breed your hens likely if he doesn’t have a partner (Frmale partner)So,if you do get two turkeys get a Tom and turkey Hen,and probably needs two hens cause they can over mate one turkey hen.

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC. I’d suggest asking on the turkey forum for the best advice, as peeps there are most likely to have kept both - https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/turkeys.20/

Best wishes
Pork Pie

 

[Noellereagan]

I have poults right now that are 8 weeks. I once had one Tom alone. He did not do well. And was unnaturally bonded to chickens. That’s a problem. It’s very hard on them becuse if their social nature. And winters would be another issue in itself. I do see people successfully seem to have one turkey by itself though. I’m just not one of them. Btw there is no better pet than a turkey as far as I’m concerned. I would however suggest getting a few day old poults. That’s what I did and they imprinted so they’re VERY friendly.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Mine imprinted within the two days I got them and they were not day olds,they were about two weeks,turkeys make great pets.

 

[Lrosell31]

I have two hens and two toms. They haven’t bothered my chickens at all or any of my other backyard birds. I have one hen that gets very jealous when I hold or give my other birds attention. She will puff up her feathers and try and peck them but that’s only when she gets jealous. She also loves to perch on my husbands lap or hang out with my pitbull. My two toms will fight each other every once in a while but they don’t hurt each other to badly. I would suggest getting two. Only because of how social they are and what I’ve seen with my turkeys.

 

[GhostGirlShannon]

You have adorable little houses there. I really do only want one Tom but it sounds like I may have to get him a female as well.

 

[Orpingtons43]

I think that a turkey and some chickens will be fine!

 

[Lrosell31]

You have adorable little houses there. I really do only want one Tom but it sounds like I may have to get him a female as well.

I got the idea on Pinterest. I actually have five playhouses and two dog houses that we turned into sleeping and laying homes for my birds. They roam free in my backyard but sleep in the playhouses. And two of them are for laying eggs. They are all separated by what type of birds they are. Plus I figured they are the safest from predators locked up in there homes at night.