Turkeys with chickens.

[farmerlor]

Website with pics of hybrid birds (turkey x chicken, etc...) http://www.messybeast.com/genetics/hybrid-birds.htm

 

[RAREROO]

Quote:
Shoot you beat me to it, I just found that site and was going to post it. But yeah holy heck it's got chicken X turkey , chicken X peacock, peacock X guinea, pheasant X chicken , all like of cool crazy crosses.

 

[Praxxus]

I've heard people go on and on about blackhead and other nasty doomsday scenarios when combining chickens and turkeys. I have chickens, guineas, peafowl and turkeys all in one coop all winter. They free range uncaged outside the rest of the year and are a very close flock. Not once have I had a single medical issue. I have seen some amazing jousts, but no injuries.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

thats great for you, I havent either, but it is a very common occurance and should be pointed out as a possiblity, thus the going on and on about it. People ask, well it's best to be informed. I would feel like a jerk if I told them YEA, GO FOR IT, THEY'LL BE JUST PERFECT.
Then next week they post back, something happened, their all sick and dying wouldnt you?

 

[stph886]

I have one Tom that has been with my free range hens with no prob's ....... until today. My dog was barking at somthing behind the dog kennels and as i came around the corner I found the Tom sitting on top of the hen (caught in the act). The poor hen had her crop torn open, her leg was badly torn open. All of this happenend with in a few mins. The hen died within a few mins. of me picking her up.(POOR BABY)

So I would say keep your hens far away from your Toms. This Tom is/was very gentle I never would have thought he would have done this awful thing

 

[ivan3]

Our chooks were brooded with BBB poults. Our spradle-legged survivor (BBB) thought it was a chicken. The heritage poults arrived four months after the chooks and a couple of weeks after the BBB had to be put down. The chooks take no guff from the turks (common fence separating runs). One BSL hen, in particular, will charge the turks growling, with hen-`hackles' spread, jumping at them feet first for a flogging, if they become too familiar while ranging.

Maybe turkey hens that were raised with chooks would be fine in the same run. I'd not trust jakes/toms (inadvertant injury to chooks from impromptu sparring between turks or worse).

Just some Blackhead (histomoniasis) links:

Good prècis: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/poulsci/conference_proceedings/turkey_days/2008/mcdougald_2008.pdf

Actual reported cases (2006-2007: 68) with more info on turk disease in commercial operations (page 10): http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/Reports/2007/report-pad-2007.pdf

Some interesting shots of chooks with active cases of Blackhead: http://en.aviagen.com/assets/Tech_Center/Broiler_Breeder_Tech_Articles/English/AviagenBrief_MaleHealth_June09.pdf

Dimetridazole (the most effective treatment) is now verboten, but flagyl (metronidazole - sold OTC for use in ponds as `Fishzole') is still available and will work: Dosing:

50-65 mg/kg,q24h, in any species

And, study on various antiprotozoals in the treatment of (in vitro, but that's as good as it gets): http://ps.fass.org/cgi/reprint/81/8/1122 (including metronidazole).

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