# Can I incubate turkey & chickens together



## Rechellef (Oct 5, 2010)

I only have one incubator with an automatic turner for about 30 chicken eggs. I plan on incubating about 1 dozen Buff Orpington eggs this coming week. I am also expecting an order of turkey eggs in about 5-7 days. Since there is about a week's time between hatching with turkeys and chickens, can I incubate them in the same incubator since the chickens will be hatched and gone before the turkeys or should I invest in a separate incubator?

THANKS!!!


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

It's EASIER doing them separately, but it can be done. What I ended up doing the one time I did both together, was take OUT the auto turner when it was time to stop turning the chicken eggs (day 18), and I turned the turkey eggs by hand after that. 

the other thing you can do is put the chicken eggs in the bator 1 week after starting the turkeys..then everyone hatches at the same time. (that's hard to do if you have to order the eggs, however)


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

My incubator doesn't have an automatic egg turner so last year when I hatched eggs I just turned them every day by hand.
I hatched Duck & chicken eggs together. Put them in the same day & when the chicks hatched & were good & dry the next day I moved them to the brooder when I needed to open the bator & turn the duck eggs anyways.

If I did it again I would start them the same day like Ann suggested if it's possible.


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## mommagoose_99 (Jan 25, 2005)

I do them together all the time on purpose. I usually start the turkeys wait a week and then add the chicks so they hatch at the same time. Baby chicks are smarter than turkeys and the chicks teach the turkeys th ropes about drinking and eating. I do not let the chicks stay longer than a week with the turkeys though. The turkeys tend to be bullies and gang up on the chicks.
Linda


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## Guest (Apr 11, 2011)

I do what mommagoose does and for the same reasons. Works great for me.

But I haven't found it necessary to separate them at a week though. Mine all seem to peacefully coexist.


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

Mine, also, are raised together. :shrug: The turkeys learn from the chickens. Chickens are hard wired to return to the coop at night. Turkeys aren't. They'll roost anywhere they happen to be when it gets dark. If raised together they tend to follow the chickens back into the coop. (at least mine always have...more or less)


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