I'm thinking about keeping turkeys with my chickens- should I?

[Kennas_Kritters]

I have turkeys, chickens, guineas, emu, peafowl and ducks all free ranging together. They are perfectly fine as long as they have a good amount of space. If you want meat turkeys a broad breasted breed is best BUT if you want to be able to breed your own you will need a heritage breed. Broad breasted breeds can't hatch their own chicks as they are to heavy.

 

[All4Eggz]

Now is the perfect time to get broad breasted for thanksgiving.
People get them in the spring and end up with 60# turkeys by November.

Really? So will I make it for butchering age if I buy day old poults in the next coming days?

 

[KyKyMarie77]

Can I house some turkeys (about 5-10) with my flock of around 40+ chickens + chicks?
I'd like to grow some for thanksgiving (maybe next year, since this year it's too late) and maybe sell a few.
I would have to switch to all-flock pellets.

Could I free range the chickens and turkeys at the same time? Will they come back to the coop? do they need separate coops?

Thanks in advance for replying.

If you are only going to have them about a year I would go ahead and do it. I have one turkey that was a rescue who I had before I let my chickens free range, and with them out their he doesn't seem to mind at all. He will lay with the chickens and doesn't go after any of the hens, but I would be careful if you have roosters and a male turkey. My turkey is very protective of me and I had a rooster who would attack me and the turkey would go after him and beat him up, so that is something to be wary of. My turkey is also super docile for a male as well, so if you get some that are aggressive, they could do a lot more damage than mine would, but if you raise them from babies and handle them a ton then I don't think it would be a problem, especially if you let them out with the chickens when they are about that size so they will become friendly with eachother.

 

[All4Eggz]

I raised BB whites one year. That year I lost a lot of chicks. Most of them I found in my water buckets and tubs outside (have ducks so need deep water). I thought they were accidently drowning after falling in and a new cat that had been visiting had gotten the others. I've lost a couple to drowning before but never at this scale. Then one day I witnessed the turkeys pecking one of my chicken hens so much her head was bleeding. I separated the turkeys. After that, no more drowned or dead chicks. That's when I realized the turkeys had been killing them and putting them in the water. If I ever do turkeys again, I'll keep them away from the chickens.

That's helpful. Thanks

 

[KyKyMarie77]

A question on sexing-
When and how would you sex turkey poults?

I rescued mine when he was already several months old and developed so I’m not really sure! I’m sorry!

 

[All4Eggz]

I rescued mine when he was already several months old and developed so I’m not really sure! I’m sorry!

It's okay! I understand

 

[All4Eggz]

I'll mention Blackhead. Blackhead is a disease that usually doesn't bother chickens that much, you might not even know they have it, but it is fatal to turkeys. If you have blackhead in your chicken flock your turkeys will die. If you do not have blackhead in your flock then your turkeys will not get blackhead from your chickens. Lots of people keep turkeys and chickens together without any problems with blackhead, but it can be a problem.


Lots of people do. You have to train them to go back to the coop to sleep just like you do chickens but I've kept them in the same coop.

Are you considering the smaller heritage breeds or a broad breasted variety? The heritage fly extremely well. Sometimes they like to sleep in trees or on the coop instead of inside. I trained my Midget White to sleep in the coop with the chickens but I could not keep him penned during the day, he could fly out.

I have never raised broad breasted. People on the forum that have say the young ones can fly really well but once they get bigger not that much. Which ones you raise might make a difference in some of that.

Thanks for replying.

Which ones would you recommend mainly for meat?

Broad breasted variety I assume? And they're a plus because they don't fly out much when they're older, as you mentioned.

 

[All4Eggz]

So all in all, @Ridgerunner, would you recommend them?

 

[All4Eggz]

The broad breasted will give you a lot more meat than a heritage.

Good to know.

 

[All4Eggz]

If you are only going to have them about a year I would go ahead and do it. I have one turkey that was a rescue who I had before I let my chickens free range, and with them out their he doesn't seem to mind at all. He will lay with the chickens and doesn't go after any of the hens, but I would be careful if you have roosters and a male turkey. My turkey is very protective of me and I had a rooster who would attack me and the turkey would go after him and beat him up, so that is something to be wary of. My turkey is also super docile for a male as well, so if you get some that are aggressive, they could do a lot more damage than mine would, but if you raise them from babies and handle them a ton then I don't think it would be a problem, especially if you let them out with the chickens when they are about that size so they will become friendly with eachother.

A question on sexing-
When and how would you sex turkey poults?