- May 17, 2014
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So, I've done the drill with chicks; I've raised quite a few batches quite successfully while owning chickens for eight years. I know that all chickens/chicks are carnivores and can be cannibals if they see blood or a weak chick (hence the reason for red light bulbs).
I have two chicken tractors (coops that move around so the birds can have fresh grass regularly). I've already bought seven chicks this year and they are about three months old and are occupying one tractor.
The whole turkey poult thing is entirely new to me. I've ordered two poults (a Red Bourbon and a Royal Palm) that are coming in two weeks. But after I ordered them, without thinking, I ordered another batch of chicks that are coming in three days. In that batch are mostly bantams (a d'Anvers, a Seabright, a Silkie, etc.), nothing too aggressive. At some point, the turkeys will have to mix with these chicks, as I only have one good brooder box and one chicken tractor left for them. So the chicks will be about two weeks old when I will have to mix them...is this just disaster waiting to happen? I really don't want the chicks to maul the tiny turkeys, but I was thinking that since the turkeys grow faster, the chicks might be a good age/size to mix with the turkeys.
Plan B is to go to lengths to raise the chicks apart from the turkeys when they're young and, when the chicks are old enough, integrate them in with the chicks that are currently three months old. The only problem with Plan B is that all of these birds (chickens and turkeys) are being raised for show, so I can't have them all beat up by the bigger chicks that at that point, may even be laying and definitely won't be peeping anymore. Any advice or other ideas that I haven't thought about yet? Anything would be great!
I have two chicken tractors (coops that move around so the birds can have fresh grass regularly). I've already bought seven chicks this year and they are about three months old and are occupying one tractor.
The whole turkey poult thing is entirely new to me. I've ordered two poults (a Red Bourbon and a Royal Palm) that are coming in two weeks. But after I ordered them, without thinking, I ordered another batch of chicks that are coming in three days. In that batch are mostly bantams (a d'Anvers, a Seabright, a Silkie, etc.), nothing too aggressive. At some point, the turkeys will have to mix with these chicks, as I only have one good brooder box and one chicken tractor left for them. So the chicks will be about two weeks old when I will have to mix them...is this just disaster waiting to happen? I really don't want the chicks to maul the tiny turkeys, but I was thinking that since the turkeys grow faster, the chicks might be a good age/size to mix with the turkeys.
Plan B is to go to lengths to raise the chicks apart from the turkeys when they're young and, when the chicks are old enough, integrate them in with the chicks that are currently three months old. The only problem with Plan B is that all of these birds (chickens and turkeys) are being raised for show, so I can't have them all beat up by the bigger chicks that at that point, may even be laying and definitely won't be peeping anymore. Any advice or other ideas that I haven't thought about yet? Anything would be great!
