turkeys close to chickens

[zzGypsy]

Quote:
provided you don't have issues with blackhead in your area, you should be just fine.

 

[2overeasy]

So what, if anything, happens if the turkeys do mate with the chicken hens? I'm looking at getting a few turkeys this year and I've never had them before. I have a large 24X10 ft coop, currently 28 chickens (although 4 are going to the crockpot soon), and I free range my peeps everyday over 10 acres. Thanks!

 

[bantam farm]

it seems like mixing breeds is always a bad idea. something inevitably goes wrong when they eat the other's food or get in a scuffle

 

[2overeasy]

I'm still reading and researching, but I am wondering about feed and coop/roost issues, too. I haven't called my local ag ext about blackhead yet, either. I don't know what I'll do. I only want about 4-6 of them.
And, sorry, I don't mean to hijack this thread, RNAOGEA. Perhaps, however, you have these questions, too, and the responses will help you (and others) as well.

 

[zzGypsy]

Quote:
if you have a turkey tom, and he tries to mate chicken hens, he may injure or kill them (he outweights them by a LOT once he's mature.)
roosters can't hurt a turkey hen by trying to mate her but they're likely to be unsuccessful.
I don't think turkeys and chickens can interbreed, but I don't know for sure.
our turkeys and chickens don't appear interested in crossbreeding.

BTW we keep all of these together: turkeys, chickens, guineas, ducks, geese. we don't have interspecies squables any more than we do just normal pecking order squabbles... that is if someone gets ahead of their place in line, a peck or a pinch is forthcoming... but the same is true within the species as across them.

the biggest issues is: can you feed them all the same, roost them the same, water them the same... at least for us, the "running them together" part hasn't been an issue, nor has feed (once they're adult) but water has to be managed properly for this to work.

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

Quote:
Me too, zzGypsy! (With caged rabbits instead of geese.)

Our ducks, chickens, and turkeys "more or less" keep to themselves, except around the breakfast and dinnertime feeding frenzies. The guineas just wander freely, and hassle whomever's nearest LOL.

Our turkey hens initiate mating, and I've never seen our tom interested in chickens, but I'd be concerned if our rooster passed on and his harem became frisky....

For feed, I use Purina Flock Raiser (20%) for all the adult birds. It's more expensive than layer feed, but it's worth it to me to not have the hassle of feeding this bird separately from that bird. I do give supplemental food more or less separately, though - mostly scratch for the chickens, peas/greens for the ducks, and mealworms for the turkeys. The ducks have their big water tub set away from the feeding area.

For roosting, the chickens use their coop, the turkeys completely ignore the shelter they're "supposed" to use and perch on a fence with the guineas, and the ducks just plop down on the ground under a bush or a rabbit cage.

All in all, it's been great keeping a mixed flock!

I would recommend choosing breeds with mellow and friendly personalities, and sending aggressors to freezer camp.

 

[flgardengirl]

I have two turkey hens living with some chickens. The hens love one of the blue copper marans. He doesn't like them. Another black copper marans roo loves the turkey hens and tries to mate them which is hysterical since they are 3 or 4 times his size. They will have NOTHING to do with him and will try to kick his butt if he gets too close to them. I guess they like the blue shy type of man lol. Otherwise they all get along great and no issues.