Okay, bought a turkey poult

[rockhound]

This is my first time posting, so here goes. We got our 12 baby chicks last Wednesday, which are all happy and healthy living in a rubbermaid tote for the moment. We were at the hardware store buying some more wood for the chicken coop and surprise! A brooder full of turkey poults. I can do things on a bit of an impulse so we got a bbb turkey. We put him in with the chickens and he has his own feeder so we can feed him turkey crumbles. They are all getting along fine. I've been reading everyones posts and I guess at this point I'm taking my chances on the whole blackhead disease thing. Our set up WILL be an 8X8 coop (which finally has four walls and a roof now) with a 12X12 run. Where does the turkey fit into all this?

 

[ronshoney]

Are you going to eat him? What are your plans for him?

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Most of the people I know, keep their turkeys with their chickens. I was told that my turkey would actually do much, MUCH better if I raised him with the chickens.

I wanted to quarantine him at first, but he just sat in his box and wouldn't eat or drink. I began to really worry about him, so I emailed the people I got him from asking what was wrong. He hadn't eaten or drank all day. Turns out they thought he was lonely and told me to put a chick with him or to put him with the chicks. I put one little chick in there for him(didn't want to risk the whole bunch) and that little poult immediately(!) ate and drank like there was no tomorrow. LOL Guess he was lonely..

I do not know about the space question. I guess just look up or ask how much room one turkey takes and then add it the amount 12 chickens need and whether you plan on free-ranging or not.

-Kim

 

[chickenannie]

My turkey poult was so sad living in a brooder by himself for 2 days. When I gave him a second turkey chick (stole it from the turkey mom) he was so happy. Now they are pals and do everything together. It really cheered him up.

 

[Chickending]

I have a question, for those who do keep turkeys and chickens together, what do you feed them? I have 18 turkey poults and 60 Cornish X's and a very large coop just for them. I was going to split them off and section off the interior but have heard of people keeping them together. Just wondering what kind of food you give them?

 

[mtnchicks]

I don't have Cornish Xs, but Purina Flock Raiser is what some of my ducks, chickens and turkeys get. Most of my chickens are separate, so they get laying feed, but the hen in with my ducks eats Flock Raiser, and when my turkeys are off of Turkey Starter, they will get a mix of Flock Raiser and Turkey feed. I don't like to keep my ducks with the chickens, but the turkeys will live with the chickens (I know, we are taking our chances with disease). With limited space, that will have to do. Many people do it with no problems, though I know some advise against it.
And I agree, Rockhound, either buy another turkey poult or keep the one you have with the chicks. A lot of the info I've read suggests putting a couple of chicks in with the poults to "show them the ropes" on where the food and water are.

 

[rockhound]

I am keeping my turkey poult with the chicks and he's doing great. I put out a seperate feeder with turkey starter in it but he I think he is eating mostly out of the chick starter. I know there is less protien in the chick starter, but I can't force him to eat only the turkey starter if I'm going to keep them together, anyone know if I should just mix the foods together so everybody is getting some of each?
I think I won't have a problem ( I know I'm taking my chances with disease) keeping the turkey with the chickens, and yes, our 'plan' is to eat him although I have 3 little boys and this is our first attempt at raising anything in the animal category to eat. I'm not sure how well that's going to go over. I guess my major concern is how big to make the door for the chickens/turkey from the coop to the run. If I'm going to keep him in there I suppose I should make it big enough for the turkey, but I haven't been able to find ANY info on keeping 1 turkey.

 

[chickenannie]

I wouldn't worry too much about the feed -- the turkey feed probably has more protein that's all. The other thing is turkeys need grit from the get-go, so you must provide him with grit right away (I just put sand and tiny pebbles from my creekbed in their food). I believe the chickens don't need grit while they're eating starter. The other thing is that turkey chicks need greens. I just pick some grass and cut it up with a scissors and sprinkle it in their brooder for the first week or two. You wouldn't believe how much greens turkeys can eat! My 2 week olds are eating a handful of clover a day between them. My grown RB turkeys can fit out a door that's 1 foot wide by 16 inches high. Good luck!

 

[silkiechicken]

Since he's a bbb, he's a meat turkey and will quickly out grow the chickens. In addition, might want to put them all on turkey feed as a broad breasted bronze is a meat bird which means they can be prone to leg problems like other meat birds if the protein isn't high enough. I did chicks and turkey together for a few weeks, but I was keeping the turkeys with cornish x meat birds so they all were growing very fast on game bird feed.

Others have done it on just chick feed though. I plan on eating my broad breasted bronze in a few months. He's 11 weeks old and about 12 lbs. My 11 week old leghorns are about 18-20 ounces. Best of luck! I find they are a bit hardier and long lived than cornish x meat birds.

 

[rockhound]

Thanks for the tip on the grit, I had no idea. I've got a cocketiel so I can use his grit when I get home. My chicken door will be that high anyway, so it sounds like he'll fit. I figure I can always seperate him later if he turns mean or starts picking on the chickens. I'm hoping where they will grow up together they will all get along just fine. Maybe he will think he's just an overweight chicken. The chickens are layers, we aren't going to eat them unless we accidentally ended up with a rooster and then we might think about it.