I want turkeys, but I don't know where to begin.

[alexanye]

How are they different from chickens care wise? I know they can't be kept with my chickens. I'll keep them in separate parts of the yard. I keep my chickens in tractors and move them every day, sometimes a few times a day depending on how their grass looks. Can I see some turkey tractors? I'm going to look on pintrist too but I want to see yours!

Do they roost like chickens? Or like guineas? Or are they OK to sleep on the ground?

Feed I understand, that is easy.

I also just saw that you can't free range them if you have wild turkey because they'll try and join them? Do domestic turkeys fly? Or is that like ducks, some breeds can others are too heavy?

What breeds are the most friendly, heat tolerate and cold, and tastiest meat. I want them for Thanksgiving, and I live in south Carolina, the summers are hot the winter can get pretty cold.

Can you eat turkey eggs like chicken eggs when you don't want more? I would like a Tom so I can breed more. We're going for the self sufficient thing.

 

[R2elk]

You can learn a lot about heritage turkeys at Porter's Rare Heritage Turkeys.

If you want them to eat, the broad breasted varieties are readily available as day old poults. You can purchase them every spring and process them when they are 4 to 6 months old depending on what size carcass you want.

Heritage turkeys prefer to roost outside. Broad breasted turkeys should be kept on low roosts so they don't hurt themselves when getting off of the roost.

If blackhead is an issue in your area, you do not want the turkeys to be on the same ground that chickens have been on. I believe the time period was stated as being 3 years.

All domestic turkeys are the breed Turkey. They are separated into varieties. Turkeys are very cold hardy but can have a tough time in the heat. South Carolina winters are mild compared to what we get. It can get to -30°F here. My turkeys will spend the day in the shade on sunny days in the winter.

Turkey eggs are prized for baking.

 

[alexanye]

So, broad breast is probably what I would go for then.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Wanting to get some aswell. Hopefully you have good luck with them! They are cuties. I will have to do research on blackhead and see if its where i live.

 

[cmobley]

I'm raising bourbon red supposedly the tastiest of all the turkeys. I have eaten one and gotta say it was pretty good. Mine live with my chickens I don't free range them because I'm in a neighborhood and one quick jump they can be over the privacy fence in the neighbors pool. I do let them out supervised some but not for long periods. I haven't had any issues with this tom or 2 hens with my chickens but the broad breasted bronze tom I had was pretty mean to us and the other birds. He's in the freezer now since he wanted to act like a fool.

 

[Kkaysue]

How are they different from chickens care wise? I know they can't be kept with my chickens. I'll keep them in separate parts of the yard. I keep my chickens in tractors and move them every day, sometimes a few times a day depending on how their grass looks. Can I see some turkey tractors? I'm going to look on pintrist too but I want to see yours!

Do they roost like chickens? Or like guineas? Or are they OK to sleep on the ground?

Feed I understand, that is easy.

I also just saw that you can't free range them if you have wild turkey because they'll try and join them? Do domestic turkeys fly? Or is that like ducks, some breeds can others are too heavy?

What breeds are the most friendly, heat tolerate and cold, and tastiest meat. I want them for Thanksgiving, and I live in south Carolina, the summers are hot the winter can get pretty cold.

Can you eat turkey eggs like chicken eggs when you don't want more? I would like a Tom so I can breed more. We're going for the self sufficient thing.

I’m new too but I want to give you a heads up that I wish I had known!!! Baby turkeys (poults, I think ) will starve each other out and keep each other from feed. I had one pass away because I didn’t know this and i felt so guilty. I don’t know if it’s a matter of having more feed options or just being with them more (I was sick and didn’t watch them as much as I should have). Anyways. Good luck. So far, I love my BB turkeys so much more then my chickens. It’s like having feathered dogs. They are awesome.

 

[Coops Dad]

Good advice from all so far! My broad breasted whites roost on upsidedown milk crates. My Rio Grandes and Bourbon Reds have always roosted in trees, even in the worst weather. The RG's and BR's tend to roam and have gone into the cornfield behind the poultry pasture but the BBWs can't get off the ground to go over the 5' goat fencing. The RGs and BRs view the fence as a suggested boundary but the ease with which they dismiss the suggestion is comical. A hop and flap, and they're on the top rail. Another hop and they're in the field.

Don't underestimate the athleticism of the heritage breeds. One of my RGs went to roost one evening - he squatted, sprang and flew straight up like a Polaris missile, noisily knocking down twigs and branches. His first blast off put him over 20' up in the tree. It sounded like he was battling every branch in the copse.

I keep our turkeys and chickens in the same pasture, and they graze together a lot. They have always gotten along well but it's mostly tall grass so the chickens can separate themselves if they feel the need. It does seem that they know they're different and not in competition for anything other than the feed bucket and, even then, the turkeys just barge in while the chickens step aside and complain.