Wanting to get some turkeys!

[cabinchicky]

casportpony is there a way to test your soil for blackhead before you get peafowl??

 

[chicken pickin]

Anyone should be able to call their states agricultural offices and speak to someone. There is probably even a website for each state. I know my state has a website and you can see the list of diseases that have been reported. It would be best to call though and find out what diseases are actually popping up in your town/city.

 

[flo12345]

Thanks! If i do get some turkey they will probably have their own house and maybe their own pen. Hope this works out! =D

 

[casportpony]

Anyone should be able to call their states agricultural offices and speak to someone. There is probably even a website for each state. I know my state has a website and you can see the list of diseases that have been reported. It would be best to call though and find out what diseases are actually popping up in your town/city.

That's really cool, do you have a link to that website? One of the vets that I spoke with at UC Davis is interested in getting the public more aware of poultry diseases and is looking for suggestions like that.

FWIW, I tried calling the Ag Department in CA and they didn't have a clue, I've also called my the county extension office and left two messages.

Just remember that unless necropsies are done on *all* sick or dead chickens, turkeys and gamebirds, there is no way any department could know what diseases are on what farms. For example, the feed store near me has had hundreds, maybe even thousands of sick and/or dead birds in the five years I've been going there and they have *never* had a necropsy done on any.

-Kathy

 

[flo12345]

If i give my chicken chicks and turkey chicks medication in their water when i get them will that help? And if I give all my poultry it when i mix the turkeys in will that help too?

 

[casportpony]

There are a couple of preventatives that are mentioned in the Coping with Blackhead Link, one id Histostat-50, the other is acidified copper sulfate.

-Kathy

 

[jim c]

Yes and No, You can keep turkeys and chickens together, here comes the but part, turkeys and chickens are as different as ducks and geese. As mentioned before blackhead will not harm a chicken but it will kill a turkey. That being said, I know a lot of people who have chickens first then get turkeys keep them together just fine, but if you are keeping them as pets would you really take the chance of killing your pets when as you have said you have a area big enough for both.
The ideal way is to keep them separated by a few dozen yards or a solid wall in the same coop should be fine if they have separate runs to be in that are not connected.
As far as feed goes I give my turkeys a organic feed with no corn or soy (as most are GMO's) if you don't care about GMO's then that's fine. If you have access to a organic feed from a local source I would suggest that is the way to go.
One note on the breeds of turkeys that most people don't know is this.... Turkeys are all the same breed with different colors of plumage. The saying a turkey is a turkey is more true than you think. The only turkeys that are different are the two most common Big Breasted White (BBW) and Big Breasted Bronze (BBB). The BB's are humanly engineered to be the way they are for commercial sale of a out of proportioned bird (more breast meat). That being said some differences of the BBs and heritage is BBs will not ever reproduce on their own and will never fly. BBs can get to big for their legs to support them and can suffer greatly.
If you just want to keep turkeys for pets I would strongly suggest that you find a heritage breed that has the beautiful plumage that appeals to you. Heritage breeds do better in the heat and cold, can breed if you want them to, will fly but you can clip one or both wing feathers to keep them grounded.
I hope this helps without sounding too bad about the BBs.
Sincerely Jim C

 

[BullChick]

I have only read the last post so far (thank you. That is interesting and very helpful info on breeds!). I can say that as far as keeping the turkeys and chickens together, I am all for having a chick in with the poult for the first 2 months. It seems turkeys are not very smart, and that they will learn from the chick. Quite a few breeders agree about letting a chick teach the poult, but separating them after the training period.

 

[BullChick]

Hey, Jim. Welcome to BYC!

 

[casportpony]

Yes and No, You can keep turkeys and chickens together, here comes the but part, turkeys and chickens are as different as ducks and geese. As mentioned before blackhead will not harm a chicken but it will kill a turkey. That being said, I know a lot of people who have chickens first then get turkeys keep them together just fine, but if you are keeping them as pets would you really take the chance of killing your pets when as you have said you have a area big enough for both.
The ideal way is to keep them separated by a few dozen yards or a solid wall in the same coop should be fine if they have separate runs to be in that are not connected.
As far as feed goes I give my turkeys a organic feed with no corn or soy (as most are GMO's) if you don't care about GMO's then that's fine. If you have access to a organic feed from a local source I would suggest that is the way to go.
One note on the breeds of turkeys that most people don't know is this.... Turkeys are all the same breed with different colors of plumage. The saying a turkey is a turkey is more true than you think. The only turkeys that are different are the two most common Big Breasted White (BBW) and Big Breasted Bronze (BBB). The BB's are humanly engineered to be the way they are for commercial sale of a out of proportioned bird (more breast meat). That being said some differences of the BBs and heritage is BBs will not ever reproduce on their own and will never fly. BBs can get to big for their legs to support them and can suffer greatly.
If you just want to keep turkeys for pets I would strongly suggest that you find a heritage breed that has the beautiful plumage that appeals to you. Heritage breeds do better in the heat and cold, can breed if you want them to, will fly but you can clip one or both wing feathers to keep them grounded.
I hope this helps without sounding too bad about the BBs.
Sincerely Jim C

Blackhead *does* kill chickens, just not as often as it kills turkeys and peafowl.

-Kathy