I it ok to keep my turkeys with my chickens?

[whatwasIthinking]

I heard that turkeys can have problems if keept with chickens. Like black head? Is that just for chicks? Should I clear out a new place just for the turkeys in the barn? I want them all to free range together during the day. I only have 3 turkeys but 16 chickens(so far). The Beltsville are hard to find here and I would like to change that. So I dont want anyone hurt or not getting along.

 

[Struttn1]

You might want to fit your chickens with helmets. Turkey hens have a tendency to get rough with chickens and they usually go for the head.

 

[whatwasIthinking]

Do they sell those at the feed store?

 

[Struttn1]

They should.

 

[sparkles2307]

Turkeys will get blackhead from being with chickens... you want to keep them separate or they could become very ill.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Blackhead can be transmitted from chickens to turkeys but the blackhead has to be there to begin with. You can check with your state AG dept and they should be able to tell you if it's a problem in your area or not.

Quite a few people raise them together, we have been doing it for years with no problems. We raise them all in the same areas chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, guineas, peafowl.

Steve in NC

 

[ilroost]

no problem here with raising them together

 

[Chickygirl55]

It really depends i have both and we didnt have a problem till the tom turkey got a bit older and fed up with the roosters picking on him then we had to seperate them cause the turkey was going to end up killing the rooster lol. The hens didnt seem to have a problem with eachother though.

 

[Bird Brain]

All of my young-uns are the same age and I have my 5 BR with a few of the larger chicken babies. All were together until a few days ago, but since another box became free, I seperated the smaller birds out. But I havent seen any sort of aggression on anyones part.

And when my Aracauna chicks went out into the real world before my buff was ready, she went into the box with my BBB babies. Now when they go out into the yard, that chick follows them everywhere they go. I think she is convinced shes a turkey. They all sleep together, its kinds funny looking. No problems there either.