Raising Turkeys Around Chickens??

[duckiegirl]

Ok, so I was reading a book one day (I forget what it was now) and it said that you can't raise Turkeys on ground that Chickens have been on the past three years. Does anyone know that has experience with Turkeys know if this is true?

I have 9 Chickens and my Dad was wanting to get a Turkey Poult or two to raise and butcher for Thanksgiving.

And also I've read that Turkeys are more susesptable to diseases and such more so than Ducks and Chickens. True?

 

[Kevin565]

I don't have turkeys but I've read the same thing. I believe it has something to do with chicken dropping giving them blackhead,

 

[duckiegirl]

Ok, thanks. I've read that same thing.

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

If there is blackhead in the soil or the chickens are carriers than it is a not a good idea.

I chanced it. There are several people that are like me and go for it. If my birds were to get sick or have problems with my set up I would rethink the plan.


I did research and I did talk with people who had chickens and turkeys together before I jumped.

 

[duckiegirl]

Ok, thanks.

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

Not all areas of the country have blackhead problems, so I would suggest contacting your extension office to find out the specifics for your area.

Even without diseases, turkey poults just have a greater mortality rate than chickens and especially ducks. It was certainly true in our case, where we started 15 poults and 8 survived.

 

[zzGypsy]

it's really all about your area... the suggestion to check with your extension agent is a very good one. we keep chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, guineas and they free range together, and all the roosting birds roost together. we've had no fatalities or illnesses from co-ranging (dogs are another matter...)
but... we don't have issues with blackhead locally. in some areas it would be a bad idea, but you have to find out about yours.

 

[Frosty]

it's really all about your area... the suggestion to check with your extension agent is a very good one. we keep chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, guineas and they free range together, and all the roosting birds roost together. we've had no fatalities or illnesses from co-ranging (dogs are another matter...)
but... we don't have issues with blackhead locally. in some areas it would be a bad idea, but you have to find out about yours.

x2 If it's in your area, you'll have problems. If it isn't, you won't. Blackhead (histomoniasis) is a protozoan infection, chickens have to have it before they can spread it. And if you get turkeys that have a herpes infection and keep them around your chickens it can protect the chickens from Mereks disease (the vaccine for chickens is based on the turkey for of herpes). In addition to checking with the Ag Extension, check locally and see if anyone there raises the together, and if they do ask if there are problems. While I don't think blackhead is as common as they make it sound, I have seen posts from folks who had it show up so I don't want to completely dismiss the possibility.

 

[Mike Winters]

i read in a raising backyard animals book and it says that chickens and turkeys can coexist in areas with sandy well drained soil because earthworms cant live there. earthworms are the vector that transfers blackhead from chicken to turkey and thats way in sandy areas they can live together because the cycle is broken. so were there are no worms in soil there cant be blackhead.

 

[Frosty]

i read in a raising backyard animals book and it says that chickens and turkeys can coexist in areas with sandy well drained soil because earthworms cant live there. earthworms are the vector that transfers blackhead from chicken to turkey and thats way in sandy areas they can live together because the cycle is broken. so were there are no worms in soil there cant be blackhead.

Actually, earthworms pick up the protozoa from the chicken poop. If a turkey eats a bit of the poop, it does the same thing. The earthworms can be a vector but aren't necessary in the chain.