I was offered a tortoise. Can he coexist with chickens?

[MaeM]

Hi. My vet offered me a tortoise. I don't know anything about tortoises other than they eat fruits and vegetables.

If I decided to keep him, I'd like to have him free-roaming in the same space as the chickens. He'd be a "backyard tortoise".

Room is not a problem, but I'm concerned that he may still get into fights with the chickens. I have two Plymouth Rocks who oftentimes act like bullies, and one of my Golden Comets has no limits when it comes to eating - I've even seen her trying to eat a gecko that was bigger than herself. And then I also have a rooster.

So what do you think I should do? I'd like to have the tortoise but I want him to have the best life and I don't know if that's possible when you have chickens.

Any advice?

 

[Isadora]

@azurbanclucker
Any thoughts?

 

[azurbanclucker]

What kind of tortoise?

 

[gimmie birdies]

Where do you live?

 

[MaeM]

What kind of tortoise?

Sending pic because I have no idea, lol. (Note that there are several tortoises in the pic. Will he feel lonely if he is used to the presence of other tortoises?).

 

[BGcoop]

I would suggest doing some solid research into the basic care of tortoises (more than just checking to see if they can cohabitate with chickens) before agreeing to take him. A tortoise can be a huge commitment due to their long lifespans.

 

[Coops Dad]

Chickens will peck anything and try to eat anything that doesn't defend itself quickly; even then, chickens will attack until they draw blood then keep up the attack. How many threads in the emergencies forum deal with chickens picking apart a fellow flockmate? We had an 80+ lb Sulcata tortoise that ignored people but would attack the dogs and try to bulldoze them if they were sleeping. It's a territorial behavior of Sulcatas, especially males.

 

[azurbanclucker]

Need more pics of the tort in question. If it's the one in the center, it appears to be a gopher tortoise but I need full front and top pics. You need to verify with the vet the type, sex, and age. Then research proper care and feeding. (tortoiseforum.org is a great resource) Different torts have different requirements (food, temp tolerance range, humidity needs, whether they hibernate or not, etc...) and you need to match your care to the species.

As to chickens, it really depends on your flock. I have 3 large sulcata tortoises and never once have the girls shown any aggression (or really any interest) towards them. They get along fine. Torts like to tip over water stations though. And really anything in their way.

 

[MaeM]

I would suggest doing some solid research into the basic care of tortoises (more than just checking to see if they can cohabitate with chickens) before agreeing to take him. A tortoise can be a huge commitment due to their long lifespans.

Of course! I've read a bit about their diets, lifespan, and habitat conditions. That's why I thought I could take him in the first place.

But then I saw my chickens trying to kill a pigeon and the tortoise's safety became the priority. That's why I opened this thread...

Chickens will peck anything and try to eat anything that doesn't defend itself quickly; even then, chickens will attack until they draw blood then keep up the attack. How many threads in the emergencies forum deal with chickens picking apart a fellow flockmate? We had an 80+ lb Sulcata tortoise that ignored people but would attack the dogs and try to bulldoze them if they were sleeping. It's a territorial behavior of Sulcatas, especially males.

Damn. I have a dog, too. He is a sweetheart so I didn't think he could attack the tortoise. But I didn't think that the tortoise could attack him instead.

I have a friend whose tortoise bit the dog's nose but the dog was really harassing him. I didn't know tortoises would start the aggression.

 

[azurbanclucker]

I have a friend whose tortoise bit the dog's nose but the dog was really harassing him. I didn't know tortoises would start the aggression.

Again, this depends on species and the individual personality. My male is belligerent, but not necessarily aggressive, but the girls are total sweethearts. My idiot aussie shepherd, on the other hand, gets a little nippy sometimes so we have to watch her. If it's a gopher they don't get big enough to really do much more than pinch hard if they bite. We're not talking a snapper here or a 200 pound sulcata.