Pet Turkeys?

[jak2002003]

I have the opportunity to get some young turkeys from a farmer friend. I have never owned them before, but I have always liked them. I would be getting 1 hen and one tom. They are mix breed and I will have various colours.

I have some questions about them.

1. Can I keep them with my Bantam chickens (in a very huge run).

2. My climate is HOT so they won't need a coop, but do they need a roost, or do they sleep on the ground?

3. Can they eat chicken layer pellets? I can not get any turkey food in my country.

4. Will they get tame and can I let them free range with my chickens?

5. Are they noisy?

6. They will be pets and I won't be eating them. But are the eggs nice to eat and do they lay them all the time like chickens?

Thanks for any advise.

 

[SillyChicken]

I have the opportunity to get some young turkeys from a farmer friend. I have never owned them before, but I have always liked them. I would be getting 1 hen and one tom. They are mix breed and I will have various colours.

I have some questions about them.

1. Can I keep them with my Bantam chickens (in a very huge run). Not advisable to keep turkeys with chickens, though many people do. Chickens can carry blackhead disease... it may not affect the chickens, but it will turkeys. So it may or may not be a problem.

2. My climate is HOT so they won't need a coop, but do they need a roost, or do they sleep on the ground? If your climate is hot, I would at least provide an open, but covered shelter where they can keep out of the sun etc. Turkeys like HIGH roosts and lay on the ground to only to nest.

3. Can they eat chicken layer pellets? I can not get any turkey food in my country. I've been feeding my turkeys layer pellets and they are doing just fine.

4. Will they get tame and can I let them free range with my chickens? Depends on the turkey and how young you get them. The turkeys I've had so far: the ones I raised from poults were much friendlier than the ones I got as adults. If you feed them lots of treats, they will be less Leary of you. See comment # 1 regarding free ranging. They will free range, but unless you keep them fenced, they may look for trees to roost in and its harder to manage them I think. I keep mine in an airy coop and trim the wings so they can't roost high. They free range when not brooding. I keep them cooped until they start laying on their nests, otherwise they may lay eggs out where I cannot protect them from coyotes etc. They will go into the coop at night on their own.

5. Are they noisy? Depends on what you think is noisy! The Toms will gobble a lot, but it's not real loud. They are triggered by noises etc. Hens chirp and pur, but are not noisy at all. You should go visit the farm where they are being raised to hear them.. granted only one tom will be much quieter than a bunch of them.

6. They will be pets and I won't be eating them. But are the eggs nice to eat and do they lay them all the time like chickens? I think turkeys are seasonal layers. They lay a large clutch in the spring.

Thanks for any advise.

 

[jak2002003]

Thank you for you answers!

The run is very big and one wall of it runs the length of an outbuilding with a large overhanging roof that provides lots of shade and also protection from rain. The area under it is always dry and only gets a couple of hours of sun very early in the morning.

I will clip their wings so they can't fly away or roost too high. Can they jump high, because on part of the run wall is only about 5 foot. If they do get out do they have a homing instinct like the chickens, or will they just wander off into the woods?

I don't have to worry about any predators apart form the occasional street dog (if the birds get out of my garden). Usually the dogs here never bother the chickens or ducks.......but maybe they have never seen a turkey before!

Thank you again for all you advise. I think the turkeys will be happy to roost on top of my chickens roosting pens that are under the overhang. I will even put up a long thick branch for them to hop onto.

I am very excited to be getting them.

One very last question........ Will a pair be OK, or should I get 2 females and one male.