young toms on soil that....

[critters]

guineas, chickens and ducks travel over.....

my daughter-in-law has about a dozen turkeys, hens and toms, that were hatched in Feb. 2013...

my questions : are they "safe" being on soil? soil that chickens and all run across daily...
by run, I mean they poop,eat and such on the same soil...

can they get sick? they all free range during the day but do go up in hen house to roost at night...

 

[kuntrygirl]

Sure, it's a possibility that they can get sick. Especially if the soil has diseases in it. Their immune systems are not as strong to fight off diseases as an older bird. You can treat your soil if you want. If you all have not had any past diseases with birds getting sick and dieing, I would say that they are ok. A lot of people can't keep their poults off of the ground for extended period of time, so for those that can't, you can put them on soil. Many people don't but i can't say that they will get sick and die by doing that. You have to do what you can. If they were born February 2013 (5 months old right?), they will be fine. I myself let mine out at that age (probably before) but then again, my yard does have sand in the chicken yard, chicken house and chicken stalls.

Explanation about keeping them off of the ground.

Here is an excellent article about hatching and raising poults, (to help explain keeping them off of the ground).
http://www.motherearthnews.com/The-Happy-Homesteader/Raising-Turkey-Poults.aspx#axzz2PPXfAIrB
Quote:
Natural Hatching Tips

It’s best to have your hen sit in a secure area. Many times the hens will seek a quiet place to make a nest, such as a bush or brush pile, which makes them easy targets for predators, especially at night. After the hen hatches her brood, we move them all to a “maternity” pen for at least the first two months. The maternity area is covered to keep out the rain, plus it keeps the hen and her poults in a smaller area and closer together. We always put a fresh layer of sand down for each group to help prevent soil-borne diseases. Coccidiosis can be a major problem for poults raised on the ground if other poultry has occupied the area before.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/787208/turkeys-101-new-to-turkeys-what-do-i-need-to-know

ETA: If you are going to keep turkeys, make sure that you keep a few emergency meds on hand.

 

[critters]

thanks bunches! will let her know...

 

[kuntrygirl]

thanks bunches!  will let her know...

You are welcome.