Turkey essentials

[MrsElliott]

We just got some poults, wondering what essentials I should have on hand. I have chickens and have never needed to medicate them for anything, but I keep reading about worming them before they go outside and ppl talk about giving them corid just know case, but I don't understand why.

Can anyone give me a quick crash course? I cannot find ANYTHING on the internet. It's either forums that aren't answering my question, or chicken stuff.

Help!

 

[Mylied]

I've never had to medicate my turkeys or poults in 3 years. I don't believe in deworming for no reason.

 

[MrsElliott]

Even if they are going out w chickens?

 

[MrsElliott]

We've literally had them for 5 days and are in love. I know not everyone gets attached to their birds, but we do. I'm just so afraid we will raise them up, let them out, and they all get sick.
But no one can give me a clear answer. Can I just put them out there when they're fully feathered like I do my chicks? We have had multiple generations of chickens over the last few years and never lost one. So I feel good about turkeys being ok. But the turkey groups on fb have me paranoid

 

[R2elk]

Even if they are going out w chickens?

The main problem with having the turkeys with chickens is blackhead. If blackhead is a problem where you live, the chickens can be carriers and pass it on to your turkeys. Blackhead can be a death sentence for turkeys.

If blackhead is present, you need to worm the chickens and you should keep the turkeys separate in an area where the chickens have never been.

 

[Mylied]

x2 about blackhead. Do some research on that. I haven't had a problem with it here but I don't keep my turkeys with my chickens, except in a brooder as babies before they go outside.

Turkeys are kind of dumb. I don't know if that's the right word, but they get themselves in trouble. I love them. They are adorable and sweet (usually). My two broad breasted poults walk right up to me and wait to be picked up and put back in their brooder when they get out. But out they get. My grown turkey hen likes to go on walk a bouts outside the fenced yard. So I have to clip her wing feathers. They walked right up to the neighbor's dogs one time. They just are oblivious or something. So basically toddler proof their area. Unless they are free ranging, learn to clip the flight feathers so they stay put. Poults fly /really/ well when they get their feathers. I've seen them up in trees. Keep them in covered pens or they will be gone and some creature's snack. They also have a higher protein requirement than chickens, so be aware of that.