Raising Poults & Chicks Together

[serinat]

Does anyone have experience with hatching chicks & poults on the same day and raising them together, at least for the first two weeks? I know some people intentionally hatch a few chicks with their poults because the chicks will help remind the poults about where the water and food is. But does this actually work in application?

I have 11 poults and 4 chicks due on 5/18. I intentionally added the chicken eggs seven days after the turkey eggs to have a little help reminding the turkeys about the food and water. But the turkey breeder I bought my eggs from recently emailed me and suggested that I separate the chicks and poults, as the chicks will be much more vigorous than the slower-to-start turkeys and might trample them/hurt them.

Any advice to give? How has it worked for you? I'm not sure what to do anymore.

 

[mitchell3006]

I have used the 1 week delay for 2 years now with no problems. The chicks teach the poults how to eat and drink. So far I haven't had problems with the poults being trampled.

 

[dsqard]

I hatched out six poults and twelve chicks two and a half weeks ago. They have been doing great together so far. The poults are growing a lot faster but the chicks don't let them push them around too much. In fact one of my chicks likes to boss the poults around. Just a couple of things that I have learned from this so far. My poults could fly out of the brooder box at just over a week so make sure you have a cover for yours handy and the other thing is that the poults do grow very quickly so they might outgrow your brooder if you don't have a big one. I had to move the group at two weeks since they were just getting too crowded in the brooder I started them in. They are a lot of fun and I love how they imprint on you. Enjoy!

 

[LarryPQ]

I raised 4 poults with various chickens, including a mini-mini cochin and a Mfdu. The tom thought all teeny weeny chickens were humpable up until the end.

Not that the mini-cochin ever noticed. She just walked under him, with pleanty of head room.


I am sure you COULD have accidents, but I never had any issues. The turkeys loved the chickens, and the chickens were ambivilent.