Needing help with chickens and turkeys please!

[ShirleyO]

I am new to both chickens and turkeys. I have 21 chickens and two turkeys. I would like to keep them together, but the chickens seem to pick on the turkeys - a LOT- even thought the turkeys have just past up the chickens size wise (turkeys are about 10 wks now, chickens are about 15 weeks). I've been just letting the turkeys out during the day, so the chickens wont bother them, but we have cyotes and I worry they won't be safe, and they stay by the coop, like they want to be with the chickens anyway. The chickens are in a pen that is about 50 x 50 ft, so there is room, and there is a large coop, so if they stay in they have shelter. If I leave them in though, they get picked on, they can't get to new spots of grass, they eat the chicken layer food and they roost high.
If I move them out, I have to figure out how to build a tractor.

Will chickens stop picking on the turkeys in time?

Can turkeys eat the layer food?

If I should separate, anyone know a good site for turkey tractor building instructions?

Oh and one more new problem, I just bought them pellets yesterday instead of crumble (flock raiser) I normally buy and they won't touch it, any suggestions? homemade food? does it just take time? these are for holiday eating.

Please help, I have searched in internet and I can't find anything, thank you so much for taking time to respond!

 

[ShirleyO]

Update: So I fixed the roosting issue, put in some lower roosting areas better for the turkeys and turned the higher roosting areas into storage space for food.

Also, I added water to the turkey pellets, it made it like mashed potatoes and they LOVED it, plus, there was no spill. I made them a little bowl in the morning and a little bowl at night, then they grazed in the field all day.

Still don't know what to do about the chickens picking on them. Hoping someone will tell me they will work it out on their own.

 

[MonsterClucker]

Hey Shirley. I don't know much about chickens and Turkey's yet but I just placed a order for 25 chicks and 2 Turkey chicks today. I'm anxious to see the resolution to your issues. I might run into the same.

I think I've heard that it is ok for turkeys to eat the layer feed but to still have their specific food available. But I could be wrong.

Good luck. I'll check back in soon!