Wild Turkey Hen Hanging Near My Chickens

[sbhkma]

I have a wild turkey hen "sort of" hanging around. I have a burn pile about 100 yards from the coop which of course has lots of ash. She loves to dust bathe in it daily around 4pm or so. I see her in my back yard (about 4 acres in the back) foraging, often within about 50 yards of my birds while THEY free range. They don't pay attention to her and she doesn't pay attention to them. Are they any issues about this? I have enjoyed watching her with my birding binoculars (if I even open a cabinet door in the house, she hears it and flies off into the trees) but I was wondering if there are any health issues I should be worried about? My chickens don't go near the burn pile and instead dust bathe in the nice sandy paddock the horses have. I also check regularly for parasites and treat if needed (no, I do not rely on DE. I use permethrin spray) I'd love to post a pic of the turkey, but she's SO wary there is no way I'm getting anywhere near close enough.

 

[R2elk]

I have a wild turkey hen "sort of" hanging around. I have a burn pile about 100 yards from the coop which of course has lots of ash. She loves to dust bathe in it daily around 4pm or so. I see her in my back yard (about 4 acres in the back) foraging, often within about 50 yards of my birds while THEY free range. They don't pay attention to her and she doesn't pay attention to them. Are they any issues about this? I have enjoyed watching her with my birding binoculars (if I even open a cabinet door in the house, she hears it and flies off into the trees) but I was wondering if there are any health issues I should be worried about? My chickens don't go near the burn pile and instead dust bathe in the nice sandy paddock the horses have. I also check regularly for parasites and treat if needed (no, I do not rely on DE. I use permethrin spray) I'd love to post a pic of the turkey, but she's SO wary there is no way I'm getting anywhere near close enough.

If blackhead exists in your area, your chickens are more of a danger to her than she is to your chickens.

There is no way to know if your visitor is carrying lice, mites, worms or other pests until she comes into contact with your flock and at that time it is too late.

As long as the turkey maintains its distance from your flock things should be okay. Enjoy it from afar and do not do anything to encourage it to come closer.

Good luck.

 

[sbhkma]

Yeah, figured the blackhead was more HER problem than mine. I don't even feed the wild birds, much less the turkey. We have bobwhite and roadrunners all over as well. I spray my coop once a month for mites "just in case" and watch my hens carefully. I just wanted to know if there was a health issue (other than parasites) that I should be concerned about. Other than that, I just watch the deer, armadillos, turkey, roadrunners, quail and all sorts of other stuff that wanders by us.

 

[aart]

I spray my coop once a month for mites "just in case" and watch my hens carefully.

Might want to hold off the 'preventative' spraying,
it can cause resistance to the spray so it won't work if you really need it.

I have wild turkey clans(hens and poults) cruise thru and hang out in my field each year, they also like to dust near the burn pile, but my birds are confined. It's funny to watch the chickens watch the turkeys as they cruise thru.

 

[sbhkma]

Thanks, aart. Thats definitely something to consider. Sorta like not worming my horses or chickens unless the FEC shows high.