Thinking of turkeys (Boubourn Red), don't know if they will survive

[SuperChickenDude327]

I'm thinking of getting two Boubourns, a hen and a tom, in the spring, for pets, and have a couple questions:
Can you keep them with the chickens?
Will they survive a chilly winter?
How much room do they need?

I have 1.46 acres of land, and a deer fence all around it.

 

[animalsRawesome]

If you were going to just keep them locked up in a coop with your chickens, then I don't think that you should keep them together. However, my bestfriend has a pair of turkeys that share a pen (about an acre maybe?) with her chickens, and she has never had a problem with them(Had them about 5+ years). As long as they don't have to walk in a foot deep of each other's poop and it's clean and dry, I don't think that keeping them together is a problem.

As far as the winter, They are fine, and i don't think that they even usually go into her coop. I believe they just roost in the trees and such.

1.46 acres of land should be enough room for them.

Hope this helps.

 

[jasonm11]

you can put them with chickens but they can get diseases that chickens carry.
They will be fine with cold temps as long as you give tehm a place to stay dry.
As much as you give them.

 

[Frosty]

I see you are in Canada... another group that I belong to has a few people from Canada raising turkeys. I am not sure where you are up there, but I can at least say that they do fine in the winter in North Dakota. Give them somewhere to get out of the wind and snow (and keep their feed dry).

I agree with jasonm11, the more room the better. I don't know if Blackhead (histomoniasis) is a problem in your area, that is the big one that turkeys can get from chickens. But the chickens would have to be infected with the protozoa before they can pass it to turkeys so it isn't a given that the turkeys will get it. The only problem that I have had keeping them together is if the tom tries to breed with a chicken in the spring. That ends badly for the chicken. If the chickens have enough space to stay away from the turkeys, that might help.

Keeping chickens and turkeys together could actually protect your chickens from Marek's disease if the turkeys have the turkey form of herpes (which I gather is pretty common). The turkey form is what the chicken Marek's vaccine is based on.

 

[SuperChickenDude327]

Tanks to all. I do live closer to the bottom of Canada, but we still have chilly winters. I will let them live free, as I do with my chickens, and will be rally happy to see turkeys walking about, with the chickens I already have.

 

[SuperChickenDude327]

What about the deer fence? Will it keep them in?

 

[animalsRawesome]

What is "Deer fence" How tall is it, and what size are the openings?

 

[Frosty]

It might keep them in, but I couldn't guarantee it. With a large enough area they do tend to stay in more. If there are any trees close to the fence though, they could roost in the trees and fly down on the wrong side in the morning. Be careful if they decide to roost in the trees at night, in the winter when other game is hiding a great horned owl can pick them out of the trees if they get hungry. Also be careful... turkeys are addictive!

 

[ColbyNTX]

BR's can fly pretty well. A 6ft fence won't even slow them down.

 

[SuperChickenDude327]

I'd say 9ft