Turkeys vs Chickens

[BabyandCotton]

I'm considering ordering turkeys or more chooks and have a few questions
1. Are turkeys rude towards chickens/ducks?
2.Where is the best place to order?
3. I've never owned turkeys,are they difficult to keep?
4. Are assortments better/cheaper than ordering chosen breeds? I want a variety

 

[feedman77]

I keep chickens and turkeys together. As far as turkeys being rude toward chickens. Maybe I'm lucky but except for the occasional squabble at feeder they get along great. Most squabbles initiated by my turkey hens toward roos.

Most major Hatchery's sell turkeys. But they usually have a minimum order and price plus shipping could be over 20 a poult. For awesome looking turkey Google porters heritage turkeys.

Don't know where your located but check craigslist. Usually some poults and adult birds on their. Prices usually cheaper than hatchery.

As far as keeping once I get them past the 2 month stage it's relatively easy.

A left over hatchery asst. May be cheaper but I would rather have a little more say in what I was ordering.

But that's me.

A few questions.

What do you want the birds for.
Meat, eggs, hatching eggs, ornimental value.

If you want a strictly meat turkey go with broad breasted bronze or white.

If you want meat, eggs, or replacement birds from hatching. Go with a heritage variety of turkey.

Eg. Royal palms, bourbon reds, blue slates or narrigansett. All heritage varieties are basically the same except for color and some weight differences.

My heritage hens have all gone broody and will hatch eggs if you don't have an incubator.

As far as if I had to make a choice between my chickens or turkeys. Turkeys hands down.

They are a lot more personable than chickens.

I'm partial to palms and Bourbon reds. Palms are eye candy to me.

My reds are big sweethearts.

I gave turkeys a try and found I like them.

Good luck.

Edit:

 

[BabyandCotton]

Thank you! Sounds like a turkey project is looming in the near future

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Be careful about housing the species together. I have had turkeys kill chickens and harass them. I would suggest separate accommodations.

 

[memphis]

My chickens & turkeys free range together. But I only have hens, no roos or toms. They have separate pens & coops.

My Bourbon is a sweetheart. So is my Slate. Like Feed man suggested, go to Porters Heritage Turkeys to see all the beautiful varieties.

 

[feedman77]

My setup is all dog kennel panels for the run and breeder pens. The run is 80 x 120 feet. I have 4 10 x 10 pens off that for breeding. They are covered with cattle panels in an arc and then tarped.

I have 2 8 x 8 houses for chickens to roost in. Plus 2 tsc premade chicken huts. And 1 snap loc chicken house in the run. The 8 ft. houses are 2 ft off the ground.

The chickens use the houses to roost in for the most part. When I'm not using the breeding pens the doors are open and both chickens and turkeys stay in there.

Most of the time my turkeys roost on the top of the fence panels.

When I free range they have 5 acres of pasture and fencerow to roam. If they get off that it's hundreds of acres of crop ground.

Maybe it's the space they have or areas to get away from an agressive bird but squabbles are few.

I have about 40 chickens and 2 dozen turkeys.

 

[Hardemans]

Feedman, can you post some pics of the run and pens? Especially any that are made of cattle panels.

Thanks

 

[feedman77]

Here's a distance pic of the pens.

I only use cattle panel arced over the top for a roof. This gives me a top height of 10 to 11 feet. It also allows me to use 2 x 4s across on angles on top pipe of pen. Gives some extra stability and turkeys roost on them. I use bungee wrapped tight on 2x4.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Here's a distance pic of the pens.

I only use cattle panel arced over the top for a roof. This gives me a top height of 10 to 11 feet. It also allows me to use 2 x 4s across on angles on top pipe of pen. Gives some extra stability and turkeys roost on them. I use bungee wrapped tight on 2x4.

That looks like a great set up. I wish I had thought of that!

 

[BabyandCotton]

That looks like a great set up. I wish I had thought of that!

beautiful!!