Turkeys with Chickens

[ivan3]

Longranger wrote: where in the country is Blackhead prevelent? I have not heard anyone state that blackhead is endemic in their area and my local ag agent was totally unhelpfull.

Probably unhelpful because of the low incidence of this disease. The report below, though pretty much focusing on commercial info (2006-2007) lists 68 cases nationwide. The disease is most prevalent in Southern U.S. (humid portion).

http://www.usaha.org/committees/reports/2007/report-pad-2007.pdf

Now, there is a very effective antiprotozoal med, Dimetridazole for treatment of this condition in turkeys. It was taken off the list of approved meds back in the mid-`80's (prompted by its being a potential carcinogen) - not important if you're not selling your turks for food. However, the med is available from Foy's Pigeon Supplies, or you can take your chances and buy a kilo of it from the Chinese.

I'd be somewhat more concerned if you were up around Palmdale and the Commercial operations (if they are still there). As it is the greatest concerns are always lack of quarantine for `introduced' birds into a flock, wild birds/other moving vectors, genetic proclivity to various conditions, poisons (primarily fungally derived evils) and multicellular predators.

No problem (4.5yr.) here with chooks and turks sharing a common fence between runs/free ranging together.

ed: sp​

 

[longranger]

Thanks IVAN3. That information helps a great deal. It is a relief to find out that this is an extremely rare disease. There certainly are other good reasons to keep different breeds separate but it will be nice not to have to worry about blackhead(histomoniasis) for those times when space forces me to comingle turkeys and chickens. Mostly I do it only when brooder and growout pen space is tight.

Thanks again.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I'm surprised to hear some say it's an extremely rare disease. I lost my 2 turkeys this summer from what I assumed to be blackhead. They showed signs of having it. They were housed with the chickens at night, but everyone free-ranged during the day. Next year I will be building a separate coop for the turkeys. Hopefully that will work out. I miss having turkeys.

 

[CDennis]

Any know if blackhead harms adult turkeys or just chicks

 

[chickenzoo]

I believe it can affect any age.

 

[ivan3]

aggieterpkatie wrote: I'm surprised to hear some say it's an extremely rare disease. I lost my 2 turkeys this summer from what I assumed to be blackhead.

Unfortunately, small flock owners rarely having testing done or report and USDA/APHIS pretty much stick to commercial operations in gathering stats.

As I mentioned in a previous post proximity to large commercial turkey operations might increase the chances but, again, we have a large population of Wild Easterns here with no reports (Cent. MO) that the State Vet/University MO.Turkey Farm could provide of recent outbreaks.

Not only could a chicken eat a `loaded' earthworm, but a turkey could as well.

As there exists a very effective med for treatment and if there are few or no reports of outbreaks in one's area, other concerns would probably take precedence.

Sorry about your turks. I'd get some dimetridazole to keep on hand and try again. Turks are great.

Some info and photos (succinct reference): http://www.aviagen.com/ss/assets/Te...es/English/AviagenBrief_MaleHealth_June09.pdf​

 

[KathyP]

I keep my 2 turkeys in with the chickens and aside from an initial pecking order thing, they all get along quite peacefully. In fact, the chicken hens LOVE to hang out with the big guy, Toby. I can almost hear him singing the tune, "I love it when ya call me big pappa" when they do that. Home is a fairly large coop and they free range durng the day, so no one really has a chance to get cornered. If there's going to be a "tiff," it's usually in wintertime when everyone winds up staying inside most of the time. Cabin fever and all.

The hen turkey seems to be more aggressive than the tom though...she will occasionally give chase to one of my roosters just for scuz.

If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing.

 

[KathyP]

Found a picture of my turkey and rooster working out their "issues." The turkey wasn't even the instigator, it was all the rooster's issue. Roo would walk up to tom and open his neck feathers like this... as if to say, "You want a piece of me boy? Yo mamma was a butterball..." and then the turkey would lay the smack down by grabbing his comb and just holding him on the ground for a minute before letting him go. It lasted for a few days and that was that. The rooster finally gave up being a dinkus. Since the initial hazing period, there have been no further incidents and this was almost 2 years ago now.

 

[ivan3]

Not to threadjack, but KathyP: Great bunch, nice setup!

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Quote:
I see guineas!

And I love how you've slanted your roosts. I think I'll change mine like that...instead of 2 long roosts along the back, I'll slant them like yours and have more room!