Wild baby turkey wants in Chicken coop

[dkarr]

Hello, I have really enjoyed backyard chickens for almost a year now and this is my first post.

We have a dozen hens in our coop / run that now have a new pet..... a wild baby turkey that now lives on top of the chicken run. This baby turkey wants desperately to become part of the chicken flock. Over the last almost 2 weeks he has become more and more comfortable with us but I have not tried to integrate them - should I? We do have foxes around and I am a little worried about the foxes getting this stray turkey that has wandered up to our semi - suburban home.

thanks

 

[Hobbley_Farm]

I don't have any educated advice on this. However I would probably do it if it looked healthy. There are probably a number of diseases it could carry that could hurt your flock. But still...I would probably do it. I only have a few chickens myself. So it wouldn't financially devastate me. If you have a ton of chickens...maybe think twice about it. Does he look/act healthy. What a conversation piece that would be for guests. lol

 

[spook]

I would say absolutely not. The size of your birds vs turkey, wild turkey is just what its supposed to be and probably knows where the feed pail is!
Being there are many forms of Avian Flu, wild birds are where our domestic birds get these 'diseases' from.
If you feed them, do so on the complete opposite side of your house. Do not allow them to associate food and your girls in the same breath.
Probably nothing would happen, but its illegal to house a wild animal, own or remove from its natural habitat any native (non-native too) critter(Maine anyways). If you want a conversation peice, raise a regular turkey.

 

[dkarr]

Thanks for the response.

You are right it would be a wonderful conversation piece - The turkey looks healthy to me - a little nervous at times but that seems understandable under the circumstances.

Maybe I will explore integration over the next little while.

thanks

 

[dkarr]

Wow! This is a great education.....This is what I love about this group.

thanks

 

[spook]

Yes, please check with your local Game Warden and find out the laws in your area. I know that people here in Maine have to be licensed to raise and rehabilitate animals for release. Perhaps if this is something you would enjoy, see if you can have a permit to house and care for baby birds, deer, moose, fox, squirrels etc. They are needed all around the world!
Good luck.

 

[CindyS]

Are you sure its a wild turkey? maybe someone has dumped their pet turkey off on you, or there is another person with turkeys in the area and it just wandered off.

 

[poultrykeeper08]

LET IT IN !!!! i have turkeys and chickens together and its fine . The bird was prob seperated when it was young and has no flock and just sees your chickens as its flock . Or some one let one go and is used to chickens . You would be saving its life !!!

you should post a pic i know a few of us would like to see a pic


As far as asking a game warden . I had a pair of wild canadian gees land in my yard and go in my goose barn at night with my geese . I emailed one game warden and they never responded . The other said just lt them stay . they are wild and know what they want . If they want in then thats thier choice .


and i then got some other canadians and i couldnt tell them apart .
You can order wild turkey poults from hatcherys if any one was to ask just say you ordered it !!

 

[pdpatch]

Since it's wild don't let it in. A wild turkey is different then one from a hatchery. They are bread, incubated, hatched in controlled conditions. So the likely hood that a turkey from a hatchery is carring any kind of desiese is low. That can not be said for any Wild Turkey, odds are that if it's a wild turkey chick is has some sort of desise that may get passed to your Chicks. At the very least you need to quarintine it for 30 days. During this time you would probebly need to de-worm it also.

We raise our Turkeys and Chickens near each other. but they come from a hatchery.

Just about every state has laws that deals with native wild animals. and these usually say you need permission from the state to raise any wild animals, most state will not allow you to capture a wild animal and raise it. Of course there are exceptions to that but not many.

Tom

 

[wilds of pa]

I would not allow it in..mostly because your chickens could also end up getting him sick..

Possible blackhead transmission to him through the cecca worm..You didn't mention where you live so its possible to give him this through your chickens..

also as the others said... he/she may bring unwanted problems to your birds..

Added bug problems as well like Mites to start, blood sucking louse fly's possible, lice and many other things..If you where gonna keep it make sure it is legal to start with if in fact it is a real wild turkey..You could possibly build him his own little flight pen..

Charlie