turkeys mixed with chickens

[jorj]

I have 6 broad breasted turkeys in Montana wondering if I can have them live with my flock of 10 hens and 2 ducks for about 2-3 months before butchering. im pretty much just worried about blackhead. does anyone know how high the risk would be?

 

[aart]

does anyone know how high the risk would be?

Call your local ag extension to find out if blackhead is in your area.
@R2elk might know

 

[aart]

do you think it would be in Montana? I cant find info on it

Call your local ag extension to find out if blackhead is in your area.

 

[Bantambird]

I haven't met anyone here that has dealt with blackhead locally. That is not to say it does not happen, just I have not heard about it happening here in Yellowstone county. When I look at the diagnostic lab website, I can't even see a place to report blackhead as its own disease under the poultry group, likely one could potentially call the lab and ask if they have ever seen a case of blackhead in our state. I have not seen it. Then again, I hatch turkeys and chickens together in the same incubator and they aren't separated until the pullets reach around 12-16 weeks old, then I remove the pullets. The turkeys can deal with the cockerels quite well and don't put up with shenannigans. So, short answer is, I have not seen blackhead in Montana, at least not around Yellowstone county. I bet you won't see it around Eastern Montana. You have a chance of seeing it more in Western Montana because it gets wetter there and the soil is richer, which worms like (the intermediary host).

 

[R2elk]

not for such a short amount of time

If blackhead is a problem in the area, no amount of time kept with chickens is short enough. If blackhead is not a problem, there are other reasons to not keep turkeys with chickens.

 

[jorj]

If blackhead is a problem in the area, no amount of time kept with chickens is short enough. If blackhead is not a problem, there are other reasons to not keep turkeys with chickens.

do you think it would be in Montana? I cant find info on it

 

[jorj]

I haven't met anyone here that has dealt with blackhead locally. That is not to say it does not happen, just I have not heard about it happening here in Yellowstone county. When I look at the diagnostic lab website, I can't even see a place to report blackhead as its own disease under the poultry group, likely one could potentially call the lab and ask if they have ever seen a case of blackhead in our state. I have not seen it. Then again, I hatch turkeys and chickens together in the same incubator and they aren't separated until the pullets reach around 12-16 weeks old, then I remove the pullets. The turkeys can deal with the cockerels quite well and don't put up with shenannigans. So, short answer is, I have not seen blackhead in Montana, at least not around Yellowstone county. I bet you won't see it around Eastern Montana. You have a chance of seeing it more in Western Montana because it gets wetter there and the soil is richer, which worms like (the intermediary host).

thanks a lot, so I'm probably fine raising them in bozeman.

 

[Bantambird]

thanks a lot, so I'm probably fine raising them in bozeman.

Yeah, I would suspect so. It only gets a little wetter there, and definitely colder there than Billings. Since they have a veterinarian testing lab in Bozeman too you can ask if they have encountered blackhead there.

 

[snood dude]

I have 6 broad breasted turkeys in Montana wondering if I can have them live with my flock of 10 hens and 2 ducks for about 2-3 months before butchering. im pretty much just worried about blackhead. does anyone know how high the risk would be?

You should be good to do that just watch your hens. They peck the feathers right below the tail feathers when the toms strut.

 

[snood dude]

You should be good to do that just watch your hens. They peck the feathers right below the tail feathers when the toms strut.

This does not mean they will always do that.