My poor 6wk chicks are being bullied by 5wk turkeys

[tolsen1]

I let my 5 wk turkey poults out to free range last week. They're bigger than the chicks. They love it. Yesterday I let my 6 wk chick beauties out for a bit of freshness. (Yes, I've heard that's a bit early... but I'm a mom of 4 kids and my maternal instinct says their ready here!) The problem is the turkeys are fighting with my poor little girls. They don't stand a chance! They are being grabbed by the neck and crying out in shear terror! "BAD TURKEY!" didn't even work

My Henny Penny had a bit of blood above her beak.

I want my chickens to enjoy my yard. I suppose the turkeys are very territorial. I want them to free-range as well but it may end up being behind a big fenced area.

Anyone else with this problem?

 

[ivan3]

Either separate, or free range with a broom in hand. Chooks need a mama hen watching out when they are that size.

This sort of thing is Very dependent on what they learned as chicks. Our chooks were brooded with BBB turks. The one surviving turk (all had spraddle leg - one survived 4months) was `adopted' by the runt Black Sex Link and seemed lost after we put the last turk down. We received our heritage turk poults a month later (3toms/2hens). The Black Sex Link still rules the turkeys and will growl and charge them (toms run away) if she feels they are out of `line'.

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

you will need to make a pen that can be moved every day in the grass
there are lots of folks that do this type of free range
tuekeys will kill the chicks
besure and doctor the ones that got blood on them
as it is fly season and they lay eggs and that means maggots on the flesh

any questions email me