Is a lone turkey ok?

[JulieNKC]

A few days ago hubby brought home a turkey. It is around 12 weeks old, has been living with a few other turkeys and chickens. Since it's been here it's been hanging with the chickens, they seem to have accepted it pretty well. It goes in the coop with the chickens and the ducks at night. Will it be ok with chicken buddies? Also, is it a BBW? When and how will I know if it's a boy or a girl?

 

[TurkeyLover22]

I raised a baby turkey that I found on the street for a month as baby and it became very attached to us. We were also wondering the gender but we noticed the turkey was very sweet and the the wattle (the thing on the top of my turkeys head) never really grew. Usually if it is a male the wattle will grow and if it is a female it tends to stay the same.

 

[thebirdguy]

It should be ok with the chickens... When it's a little older, it will be obvious whether it is a Tom or a Hen.. And yes the snood on top of it's beak will grow much larger on a tom than a hen..

 

[A.T. Hagan]

The dangly thing on top of a turkey's beak is its snood. If yours is twelve weeks old then I think it's a hen. Probably either a Midget White or Beltsville White as I think a White Holland or a Broad Breasted White would be bigger than a Buff Orpington hen by three months.

It should get along with chickens and ducks OK though you could always get another turkey!