Turkey and guinea fowl with chickens?

[farhan1997]

Can i have a turkey hen and a guinea hen with 4 chickens(3 standard hens and bantam rooster) ?

 

[R2elk]

Can i have a turkey hen and a guinea hen with 4 chickens(3 standard hens and bantam rooster) ?

It is not a good idea to have just one turkey and definitely a bad idea to have just one guinea. Both of these birds are flock birds and do best with others of their own kind. I never recommend having less than ten guineas to satisfy their needs for their own kind. Neither guineas or turkeys are chickens and both require much more "personal space" than do chickens.

Guineas have completely different mannerisms than any other birds that I am aware of. They have a need to practice these habits with their own kind since other poultry do not understand the guinea behaviors and can easily get stressed out by how the guineas behave.

A lone tom turkey with chickens can be very dangerous to the chickens when breeding season arrives. A breeding attempt by a tom turkey with a chicken can lead to a "flat" (squashed) chicken.

 

[R2elk]

Ok, will not consider getting a guinea. What about two female turkeys with the chickens ?
I already have the chickens and someone near me has some female turkeys and asked me if i want some for free

As long as they will have lots of space a pair of hen turkeys could get along with your chickens. I consider 10 sq. ft. per bird the minimum for turkeys.

 

[aart]

As long as they will have lots of space a pair of hen turkeys could get along with your chickens. I consider 10 sq. ft. per bird the minimum for turkeys.

I assume that's just in the coop. They would need more roost length too, maybe 18-24" instead of 12" per bird? Roost also would have to be further from walls, again maybe 18-24" instead of 12".

 

[R2elk]

we have 6 guineas that share a coop with our 5 chickens and have had no issues! their feed is inside and we put up a roost on the covered enclosed run and the guineas almost always sleep outside on that roost, and the chickens inside.
they do stick to their own kind tho..the guineas all stay together and i just love them...they are so quirky and funny to watch (they are very loud tho, so keep that in mind if you are considering them!)

Just curious to know how old your guineas are. It is very common to see a post such as this from people that have not yet been through a breeding season with their guineas. Once breeding season arrives it turns into a completely different story.

Those that are successful in having guineas and chickens cooped together normally have very large coops and lots of free range space and sufficient numbers of guineas so that the guineas need to flock can be provided by their own kind.

I personally raised guineas with chickens and turkeys and because of how they interacted I now house my guineas separately.

 

[R2elk]

Chickens can transmit blackhead to turkeys.

This is true if you live in an area where blackhead is present. For those of us that do not have blackhead around it is not a problem. But just because an area is and has been blackhead free does not mean that it will always be blackhead free.

 

[R2elk]

Oh my goodness!!
Lol that sounds crazy!
We don't have turkeys...but are you saying the guineas will drag the chickens around? Or try to mate with the chickens?

They are not likely to try to mate with the chickens but it is very likely that they may rip out or break off their feathers.

Hopefully you may have enough guineas that they will use their behaviors on their own kind and leave your chickens alone especially if they all have plenty of room to avoid each other.

I don't imprint my guineas on chickens so they don't view my chickens as other guineas and leave them alone. Although I do house mine separately they can free range together in the same areas as my chickens and turkeys and each group keeps to themselves.

If you are lucky yours will do the same.

 

[farhan1997]

Ok, will not consider getting a guinea. What about two female turkeys with the chickens ?
I already have the chickens and someone near me has some female turkeys and asked me if i want some for free

 

[R2elk]

I assume that's just in the coop. They would need more roost length too, maybe 18-24" instead of 12" per bird? Roost also would have to be further from walls, again maybe 18-24" instead of 12".

Yes, they need even more space in the run and they definitely need a run.

 

[R2elk]

maybe it helps that they roost in separate areas?

That helps. If you have not been through a breeding season yet, you have an experience coming as they chase around as fast as they can go and break feathers off of each other's backs. Their preferred method of attack is from the rear.

It can be funny to watch a grown tom turkey dragging a guinea on a "sled ride" as the guinea hangs on to a tail or wing feather but it really stresses out the turkey. It also gets old having chickens without tail feathers and in worst case scenarios bloody and dead.

Good luck with yours.