We have a Beautiful and friendly Royal Palm tom, a sweet Blue Slate hen, a bully white hen and a bullied Bronze waddlier. The hens lay and I have a guy who will buy all I can collect. The Turkeys range with the chickens but can't get into the hen houses, they sleep in the barn with the strays, when they think about it. I have gone out more than once to run them in out of the pouring rain and in hail storms. They are indeed stupid fowl. My granddad used to say they would drown from looking up in a rain storm. I don't doubt it. The only one we ever had with instinct was a Burbon Red hen. She roosted up high, inside in bad weather, nested in the fenceline and raised her own chicks. Found her dead last fall, she was 4.
I think the more room everyone has the better. The idea of keeping one in a "pen" might be pushing it. Maybe a Midget, or Heritage hen. Don't think I'd do it with a Tom, they realy do need room to be happy and for everyone to be safe. IMHO
