keeping turkeys with chicken?

[chickenbuttsowhat]

is it ok to have a turkey with my chickens i heard they help with keeping chickens from getting mareks disease so i was wondering which would be better to keep with my chicken a hen or rooster cuz i love my chickens and dont want them to get beat up by a bigger bird

 

[Crippledturkey]

I have 5 Bronze turkeys in with my flock of 36 layers and they get along fine. It is a riot to watch them interact at times, the turkey hens nesting on small chicken boxes, and the little (RIR) hens in a big ol turkey nest box. I heard about the mereks and blackhead disease but it has not been an issue here. If your chickens are healthy and the ground is healthy I would try it, it is definately worth it IMHO. Just today went to check eggs and a T hen was taking up a C hens favorite box, and the chicken jumped on top of the turkey and proceeded to try to nest on it. Also I have found the turkeys to be totally awake at night, and have had a turkey attack the cat who followed me into the covered run to check after I heard a ruckous at 11pm. (a few of the turkeys like to sleep outside.) So I would think they would be a good watch dog so to speak for the chickens. And they have melded into the chicken pecking order as well, as the top hens and roosters eat with two of the hens and the tom, and if a lower chicken tries to eat with them they get pecked by atleast one chicken and a turkey will have to get it's two sense in there, even if a lower T hen tries to eat with them the alpha chickens will peck at her to mind her manners. So a turkey being violent towards the chickens should not be an issue, if properly introduced to each other. A few weeks ago I took one tom and dressed he was 35 pounds, so these are by far not small turkeys. Hope this helps.

 

[DebbieF]

My turkeys and chickens have been together for a few years. Mine do well together.

 

[brahmakid11]

mine do good together

 

[chickenbuttsowhat]

oh thats great now i just need to find someone close to sell turkeys around here lol might be awhile

but deff going try and get on and so funny about ur turkey and chickens Crippleturkey lol hope mine can be just as cute

 

[AV Brahmas]

We keep turkeys on the premises...really nice ones, in fact. Our breeding tom has only been beaten at the shows one time and that was by his daughter. We do not keep them in with the chickens. We have a long list of species and breeds. Turkeys, once they get to breeding age, are the most dominant of all we have and even send the larger geese packing. In fairness to the chickens we keep the turkeys out of their buildings.

Also, the turkeys prefer NOT to be in the buildings. Even in the foulest (or fowlest) of weather with temps below zero or strong winds/rain/snow our turkeys prefer to roost outside ON the buildings. I did not care for this as I think our operations should speak to the public and represent us well and piles of manure on the roof do not cut it. So a simple structure that looks like a child's old swingset with a 2x6 nailed flat across the top has served for many years as "the turkey roost" . They sit up there all night, forage starting at dawn, and interact with the chickens when they are released shortly thereafter. Works well for us and, with this system, the tail feathers don't get all beat up and the birds look and show better.

 

[saladin]

Turkeys and chickens do fine with one another............ too a point.

I keep around 50 cocks on tie-cords at any given time. For whatever reason if the Tom or a turkey hen decides they don't like a particular cock or if I tie out a new cock, then most likely I'll have one dead chicken on my hands.

If the turkeys decide they don't like another bird they will peck on that bird till he is dead. In a totally free-range situation I don't see this happening because the chicken can get away, but if they chicken cannot escape (ie tie-cord, inclosed coop, etc.) then it can mean death.

 

[chickenbuttsowhat]

i was going to try to just get one maybe a hen while its still young but has its primary feathers so it can handle the weather and let it grow up with me chickens so they can get along idk still trying thing if i want to get a turkey or not its really my bf who wants one lol i was just trying to think about their health cuz heard they help with mareks disease