Turkey OK w/Chickens?

[Jay1105]

I am the type that just jumps in with both feet. I live outside San Antonio in the hill country, I built a 4x8 coop and have a 12x12 run. I purchased 8 Ameraucaunas and 2 Rio Grande turkey ( I hope a breeding pair) they are around 3 weeks old and getting along great so far. The chicks are going to be used for laying and the turkey for populating the area and eating. My question is what are the nutrition requirements for each and is there any inherent problems with them co-habitating and are "domesticated / wild" turkey ok to release into the wild? Also, from the discription of my coop and run, do I have enough room? Advise on anything I have missed in my thought process would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

 

[bryan99705]

Depending on who you speak with is the answer you will get about running them together. A commercial raiser will go on a killing spree if chickens get within miles of him but there are people here who winter them together here in a tiny dirty little coop for a whole winter and do it year after year with no problems. A lot depends on the presence of blackhead disease in your area per county extension service or Fish & Game.

I run mine separate most of the time due to feed, the chickens get layer mix while the turkeys get wild gamebird feed and each one loves the other. My issue is in the past is I misbought chicken feed and wound up with scratch and almost immediatley had thin shelled eggs you could barely pick up without breaking. I have been considering mixing the feeds and running all the same feed so the birds can run together but have not done enough research to make that decision, although if layer won't hurt turkeys, the feed cost will be about the same so it would be no big deal everyone layer mix.

Your issues may go deeper once the birds are adult and start laying and going broody. I don't know how they will get along then and the turkeys may want their own hootch or to take the coop over. Might want to read up on behaviorers.

Good luck with your birds and welcome to the funny farm