Turkey Talk for 2014

[casportpony]

Not trying to argue, but my feedstore keep their poults with chicks, too.

-Kathy

 

[R2elk]

If you are getting babies, you will need to get several as they are generally sold as straight-run only. A few weeks older and you are still guessing sex; you can only guarantee hens if you get grown birds 6+months. I recommend buying twice as many birds as hens you want and then sell who turns out to be a Tom at a later date once you confirm the sex. You were already given some info on Blackhead and you should find out if its in your area. You can always ask around your local feed store. Mine keeps chicks next to poults in their store so thats a pretty big hint that we have no blackhead here.

Keeping chicks and poults together in a feed store is not the same as keeping them together on infested ground. If the feed store is using clean non-contaminated bedding they have no need to fear blackhead but if blackhead is a problem in your area, keeping chickens and poults/turkeys together on contaminated ground is a whole different thing and will cause turkey deaths.

 

[chickadoodles]

Last year I raised my turkey with my chicks and they all got along great they even cuddled together to sleep. And the largest turkey was the flock protector.

 

[casportpony]

Lots of people do raise them together without any issue, but if you do have trouble, best to have the medications and supplies needed before you get the poults, or I can just about guarantee that one will notice that they're sick on the Friday night of a holiday weekend when everything is closed until Tuesday.

-Kathy

 

[chickadoodles]

Lots of people do raise them together without any issue, but if you do have trouble, best to have the medications and supplies needed before you get the poults, or I can just about guarantee that one will notice that they're sick on the Friday night of a holiday weekend when everything is closed until Tuesday.

-Kathy

I agree! I have been working on building up my medicine cabinet for the poultry for a year and I still don't have everything! lol

 

[R2elk]

Last year I raised my turkey with my chicks and they all got along great they even cuddled together to sleep. And the largest turkey was the flock protector.

I always raise chicks and poults together without any problems. However blackhead is not a problem where I live.

 

[Pretty Chickens]

First thing to do is be sure Blackhead is not a problem in your area.
Next, it doesn't matter what kind of turkey you get. It will learn to live with the chickens, and shouldn't hurt them. I say shouldn't, because turkeys get pretty darn big and the chickens are small comparatively.
I spent a while looking up turkey breeds, and didn't see any that wouldn't survive in a climate like Michigan.

I have one turkey with 3 hens and a rooster. They are growing together and I have other hens in a another coop. If other hens from the other coop come next to his hens, he is small but will attack them.

 

[Pretty Chickens]

Looks like a hen to me =)

Cute

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: I don't either. But I have heard of some that do and cannot raise turkey at all. :/

 

[kalibus330]

Hello everyone I own only two turkeys right now one is a male bourbon red the other is a chocolate female I was just wondering when will my turkey begin to lay I know they don't lay much but I'm just curious and when will my turkey begin trying to mate with her also will be get aggressive because right now he is just the cutest sweetest and most curious bird I own