Turkeys are fun.

[ninjapoodles]

They just are. They're so curious, and have so much personality. I love that when I open the brooder, they come running over!

We have Narragansetts--they're about 2 weeks old here.

My 5-year-old daughter, and feathered friend

This one looks like Mr. Burns.

How soon can they go outside? Alex doesn't have their coop finished yet, so it won't be this week or next, but maybe after that? Temps are already in the 90's every day.

 

[lleighmay]

Your babies are beautiful! Since you've got baby turkeys and I've been dying to get a Narrangansett (and someone down the road has young ones for sale)- can I keep turkey poults with 5 and 7 week pullets? My chickens are all heavy breeds and good sized; they have plenty of room in their coop and pen. Will they get along? Trample each other? When they're grown would turkeys prefer to stay outside (ex. a dog house out in the run) or will they generally come in to roost? I appreciate any advice; I've recently become "chicken smitten" and want to do the right thing by my new pets. Thanks!

 

[jackiedon]

Your daughter is precious and the turkeys are too. I bought my turkey a buddy Saturday. I think I let mine out around 4 weeks old. I only had one at the time and it became buddies with my silkies since the geese were mean to it.

jackie

 

[ninjapoodles]

I would like to see all these questions answered, too! We have 14 of the turkey poults, so we're planning to keep them separate, and my husband is building a turkey enclosure of epic proportions. But we plan to let the range with the chickens during the day...unless someone gives me a compelling reason that's not a good idea.

I'm curious about housing, too. Are most people's coops just like chicken coops, only bigger? Do the turkeys resist coming in at night?

 

[gypsygirl1421]

I put 1 week old turkeys in with my 3 week old standard chicks and everyone got along fine. They have been together for a month and a 1/2 now but I just finished the turkeys house so they are moving. Turkeys love grass. I rake up a whole bunch after I mow and give it to them. Keep them on a 29% Protein medicated starter to get them going. You will really enjoy them, I love mine. I love to sit and listen to them talk, they have so much to say!

 

[freshegg]

give it another week and youll suddenly see how god awful they stink and coop will miraculously get done fast.

 

[chickens4jojo]

What Fun!! I wanted two turkeys for fun, but my husband said he would just name them "Thanksgiving" & "Christmas!"

He didn't think they would make good pets, but looking at those pics~~I still think they definitely would.

 

[priszilla]

Mine are named Drumstick and Wishbone-LOL

 

[chickenannie]

My turkeys are very interactive with people too! Mine follow me around everywhere and they can be playful. They are more "thoughtful" than chickens if that's possible. For example, a chicken will just run like mad to get a treat. A turkey will walk over and look at the treat from every angle before suspiciously taking a tiny bite. They may or may not continue eating, while a chicken just gobbles every thing in site down. Turkeys spend a lot more time "looking".

I free-range my 6 turkeys with my 40 chickens and haven't had any problems. The chickens have a coop at night that they roost in, but the turkeys prefer sleeping out of doors. Blackhead is the disease that turkeys can get from chickens, but in my opinion if you have a small flock it's not an issue. I probably wouldn't roost them together as adults though.

Compared to chickens, turkeys are larger, need more protein in their feed, they eat way more grass, wander farther if they free-range, and they love to fly high. Build your cage so they have more head room to fly around in. Mine roost in my trees, 40 feet up if they can get up there. Otherwise, they'll roost on the fence.

I hang a feeder with turkey feed out that's much higher than the chicken feed so the chickens can't get to it. It works pretty well. Once in a while the rooster stands on tiptoe and tries to eat out of it, but generally it's just the turkeys getting in.

 

[ninjapoodles]

Quote:
This is what worries my husband. I'm afraid he's going to get to the point where he won't want them free-ranging, because he's afraid they're going to fly over the fence onto our neighbor's property. We have a 6' chainlink fence around our perimeter, so it would be easy enough for them to get over it.

I'm considering wing-clipping to try and keep them at home while still allowing them freedom to range. Would that work?