# Turkeys and Chickens



## Oakshire_Farm (Dec 4, 2008)

I have heard lots of people say it is a big NO-NO to keep chickens and turkeys together. But I have 4 Beltsvile Small White hens (turkeys) living in with my chickens. They are much happier that when I had them seperated. I am just wondering what should I be feeding them all? I asked the guy at the feed store yesterday and he said giving them the same Organic Veggie Layers ration that I give the chickens. But just thought I should ask some chicken/turkey experts to see what they think 

I should add the Turkeys are juv's they are going to be seperated in the spring when I get my tom and they get to start breeding  Nobody is fighting and the rooster seems to have a good watch over the turkeys as well as his hens.


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## wofarm (Nov 30, 2009)

Turkey grower. its what we fed all our poultry until game bird breeder & conditioner became available at the mill.


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## Willowynd (Mar 27, 2005)

If the turkeys are mature and have access to at least some range, then they can have the same layer the other birds get. I keep chickens, ducks and turkeys together and everyone gets layer and kitchen scraps, grass clippings, whatever bugs they catch outside and the ones I toss in when I garden. In the fall/winter, I take the tops off thier pens and everyone can range as they please. During spring and summer, they are penned for the most part for breeding, but still get full range a few times a week. Everyone does well.

Just saw you said they are juvies...the spring they will be breeding age though? If so, layer is fine. If they will not be laying in the next month, I would keep them on a grower or if that is not available, I mix starter and layer half and half. Not sure how you would give them a separate feed if you keep them with your chickens though.


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## wofarm (Nov 30, 2009)

Lay rations are formulated to make the most eggs for the least cost. its not the best feed stuff for breding rations. To make healthy chicks, a healthy egg is required, lay rations dont fit that bill.


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## Oakshire_Farm (Dec 4, 2008)

Thanks for the advice!!! The turkeys were born in April 2009, so they are getting close to breeding age. They are totally free range! They have about 5 acres and use it all, they go into the house at night but the days they are out side and happy  I am waiting to get a tom from a breeder, they are not going to sell anything till the early spring! I am counting down the days till I have baby turkeys running around! mmmmmmmm


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## onthespot (Oct 7, 2007)

I had a very promising young copper black marans roo lose an eye from a midget white tom when they reached dominance/scuffling age. There were two toms and two hens in with my CBM's and when the hormones hit, the turkeys started scuffling and snood wrastling and knocking over feeders and the chickens started to say away in the far end of the run where there were not good roosts etc... I had to move the turkeys. Still have the young one eyed cockerel. Hopefully it won't hurt him from breeding.


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## Curtis B (Aug 15, 2008)

The turkeys need to get a higher protien. My heritage birds get a 26-28% protein mix, the chickens don't need that much. I have the turkeys feed in the pen I use for breeding, it has a five foot fence that they fly over to get the feed, but the chickens don't can't get over the fence (or they don't want to).


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## Jennifer L. (May 10, 2002)

The reason for the advice about chickens and turkeys not mixing is because turkeys are susceptible to Blackhead and chickens aren't, or not so much, and they can be carriers of the protozoa that causes Blackhead and be perfectly healthy. If the organism is not in your soil, however, and you don't bring in infected chickens, it's not a problem at all and you can mix them all you like. The organism will live in the soil for years, as I understand it, so once you have it, it's much more difficult to grow turkeys.

It's always a good idea to only bring in new chicks instead of adult chickens if turkeys are going to be important to you, just as insurance that you aren't importing it.

Jennifer


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## roolover (Jul 16, 2007)

Storey's Guide to Raising Turkeys says "do not feed turkeys layer ration." I do not know why. 

Here's my first year experience with turkeys and chickens... I have a trio of Narragansetts that insisted on roosting in the chicken coop last summer. For a while it worked very nicely, because Tom's large presence kept the roosters from fighting. However, while the layer ration did not kill them, the hens only laid eggs for about 6 weeks. One of the turkey hens became extremely neurotic and territorial with the nest boxes, and wouldn't allow the chickens to lay in them. Then, all the turkeys molted in the middle of the summer (instead of in the fall). Whether all this is related to the layer feed or other factors, I can't say. 

When we added supplemental lights this winter, Tom became aggressive and was fighting with everyone. I finally moved the turks to their own coop and now feed them broiler ration. Everyone is doing very well, and peace has been restored. I have some young toms in another area that, if given the opportunity, start fights with my roosters. 

They're just better off separated, IMO.


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## Willowynd (Mar 27, 2005)

Turkey hens are seasonal layers. They do not lay year round. Mine lay from spring through summer. The Tom was probably becoming territorial over his hens. Personally, I have not had an issue with Toms bothering anyone...though I do get a turkey hen chasing a duck once in a while- and they chase her right back. Never any injuries on either side. Even adding adult turkeys- no issues. The toms are more concerned with displaying and courting their hens....they don't even fight each other. I have no issues with feeding layer to all and letting them range for the rest of what they need. They get thier extra protein in the form of bugs.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

Our chickens and turkeys free range and also get our universal ration. They breed, lay eggs, raise poults every year. When I look out every morning before sunup, the turkeys are feeding in the grass, the chickens are still in bed.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

I feed a mix of corn, oats, sweet feed, oyster shell or dried/ground up egg shells, grit, and table scraps. I also give rabbit livers and "critter innards" (deer liver, heart, raccoon guts, you get the idea) for extra protein.

The chickens, turkeys, ducks, and guineas are all thriving.


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## kenman (Jan 7, 2010)

I think it depends on the situation and the stock you have. I kept a trio of sweet grass turkeys with my chickens last year and they did fine with them. The only problem was that the chickens would pick at the tom's turkeys tail feathers and when the tom strutted it didn't look good. This year I tried to run four Bourbon Reds, two toms and two hens, with my chickens and it was a disaster. The turkeys would constantly pick at the chickens, driving them nuts. Also the turkeys would pick at the chickens eggs and I lost several eggs because of it. Let's say that it was a short lived experiment and the turkeys went back to there own quarters. Now, my Muscovy ducks get along great with my chickens, go figure. The problem I guess is that my Bourbon's are incurably or annoying curious where the sweet grass were tolerant.


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## pattypenny (Jun 8, 2009)

The reason for keeping chickens and turkeys seperate is there is a disease that chickens carry that does them no harm but if they give it to the turkeys it will killl the turkeys. I believe it is called black head.


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