Lonesome turkey

[Shaun]

We have one blue slate turkey about 6 wks old. It was our only one that hatched. Right now she/he is with two chicks that happened to hatch at the same time, but it's pretty obvious it's not happy.

It's been calling to the wild turkeys in our back field, so we clipped one wing to keep it from flying off. Would this be a problem, or am I just looking for trouble?

Will it be OK to house him with chickens for the winter? He would be with young chicks until we butcher in Dec-Jan, and the laying flock has seen him through the fence since he was a couple of weeks old.

Anyone with experience with this?

Shaun

 

[Cason]

I have Royal Palm turkeys (7) in the same pen with CornishX meat chickens (the turkey's feeder is hung too high for the chickens) The turkeys are 3 months old- and so far.. no problems.

 

[wilds of pa]

Its not recommend to do that raising the two togeather in the same pen (disease wise), but folks do it with success. If you want you could try it and see if they do ok being put togeather. Im sure there may be some battling at first. Just keep a close eye on them..Put the turkey in there on the roost in the dark that way in the morning they come down togeather..

let us know how it works out, if you dicide to go that rout....

Charlie

 

[warcard]

What you want to find out about from your local Ag extension is whether or not blackhead (a disease) is common in your area. Chickens are carriers of this disease, which doesn't hurt them, but can kill turkeys.

That being said my turkeys have often lived with the chickens without problems (and without me checking with the Ag extension), and they will be again this winter since I lost some housing when the remnants of Ike moved through my area, and I can't afford to rebuild winter housing for the chickens at this point.

Then again a turkey always loves a turkey buddy, where are you? I have some blue slate x royal palm poults that need good homes.

 

[wilds of pa]

Ive always heard its more common(black head) in southern states..Never heard anyone in my general area getting it, ive spoken with many old time farmers and most have not had any problems in all there years of raising turkeys as pets or for meat. of course most meat turkeys aren't around long enough to really have problems in most cases....

However, i also heard folks using copper sulfate as a preventive..Not sure if that works or not..??

Charlie

 

[Shaun]

I don't think Blackhead is a problem around here, we raised BBBs years ago, and they free ranged with our hens.

Right now we've left it in to run with the couple dozen chicks that hatched at the same time as s/he did. S/he's been in with two "misfit" chicks that had problems at hatching. Well, I think it's going to be OK. One of the chicks tried to pick on one of his/her misfit friends, and he jumped right in and gave it what for

Since the pullets from the new chicks will go in the hen house after we butcher off the roos around Christmas, we'll just put the Turkey in with the layers then. Should be OK, by then, I think it'll be nearly as big as the rooster.

I'm in Western Michigan, between GR and Lansing, so not so close!