I personally recommend this for first time and new poultry raisers. The mortality of an incubator can be high for people that are new to doing it. Once you get the chicks be it from your own incubator or purchased already hatched you should brood them separately. Keeping the chicken chicks separate from the turkey chicks will allow the turkey chicks to develop without being picked on and possibly killed.
Brooder set ups can be easily situated to keep the chicks separated and healthy. As the turkey chicks grow you may want to introduce them to your chickens when they are becoming larger and more vigorous. Another thing to consider is the protein content of the food for the chicks.
Turkeys are a much larger bird and may need a high protein feed as they grow. Feed suppliers have come up with some options that can fit the need of a multi-species flock. Here is one all flock feed available online. Here is another option for feed. Turkeys can be raised for multiple reasons. Turkeys are raised for meat, feathers, eggs, or pets.
If you are raising them to be harvested, you may want to separate them and give them a higher protein feed. This will allow the bird to reach the highest weight you can when butcher time comes. If you are raising turkeys for eggs they will do fairly well on the same feed as your chickens, or the all flock feeds available.
Turkeys will need a ground nest to lay eggs in. Turkeys and chickens generally will not have a conflict with laying eggs in the same coop if you have ground level boxes for the turkeys and nest boxes for the chickens off of the floor. The flock raising feeds will do well for them. The feathers from the turkeys can have uses. Turkey feathers are used for art, crafts, and decoration. Often I get plenty of feathers for my need just gathering the feathers that the turkeys loose just living life normally.
When raising chickens and turkeys together they can easily become pets. The fun and interesting personalities of the turkeys are very engaging. One tom turkey we had was just a joy to have around. He would keep watch on everything and warned the chickens about predators such as hawks or dogs. Having a turkey as a pet is not that unusual especially with some specialty breeds. They can be rather beautiful and full of character. The equipment for raising turkeys is similar to chickens.
The thing to consider again is the size of the turkeys. Some of the feeders and waterers are too small for turkeys to use effectively. You will want to consider some larger feeders and waterers to accommodate the turkeys. You will find out that turkeys will try to perch on the same things that chickens do. The temperament of turkeys is a little different than chickens. As stated earlier, turkey chicks are a lot more docile than chicken chicks.
When turkeys reach maturity, they will act different than chickens as well. They can act as sentinels and protectors. When a bird ingests one or the other, they become infected. Chickens will usually become reservoirs of infection, spreading the parasite throughout the flock.
Poultry veterinarians and scientists alike will tell people to segregate their turkeys from their chickens. Additionally, you should not range turkeys in areas that have seen contact with chickens within the last three years. For those of us who want to keep a pet turkey with their chickens, be sure you introduce mature turkeys into your chicken flock.
Young turkey poults are fragile, and an infection of histomoniasis is usually fatal. If you do have blackhead in your flock, mature turkeys have a better chance of surviving an infection. Black Head is not necessarily widespread. A good start, if you are considering raising turkeys with chickens, is to call your state veterinarian. Ask your state vet if histomoniasis is prevalent in your area. Blackhead tends to be a regional issue, unlike Coccidiosis and other more common ailments.
Blackhead disease occurs regionally. So, if your chicken carries the parasite, then other birds within that same region can get the parasite too. Given optimal conditions, the parasite can survive in the ground for up to three years.
So, it is not an easy one to get rid of. To avoid the blackhead disease issue, contact your state or local poultry veterinarian. The vet will let you know if there is blackhead disease in your area. Also, when buying your chicken, ensure you ask questions. Ensure the chickens come from a region with no cases of blackhead disease. The living conditions you provide when keeping only chickens or turkeys will differ from what you will provide when keeping them together.
One of the first things you must consider is the size of the coop. Chickens are not as big as turkeys. So, the pen must be one that can accommodate the size of both types of birds. In line with this, you should also provide thicker roosts for the turkeys since a chicken-sized roost may not be sufficient for their size. You should also ensure the door to the coop is close to the ground.
The door should not come with a kick plate too. Turkeys cannot fly as well as chickens. So, any elevation to the door might be a hindrance to them. Depending on your reason for keeping birds, their diets may differ. Since turkeys are usually bred for meat, their feeds are generally high in protein to sustain growth and make them heavier.
Laying hens do not need high-protein meals like turkeys. Perches are great to have for the turkeys as well. Thus, make sure that you coordinate with your local feed or farm supply store or read the protein content on the label, to insure that you are providing the proper nutrition for your flock.
The feed needs to be stored somewhere that would be free of moisture to prevent the feed from molding. A common way to store feed in backyard flocks is to by a large trash can with a lid and put the feed in there. This helps keep away moisture or any pests that might try and get in and eat the feed.
When it comes to water with the turkeys, it is the same in providing water for any livestock or companion animals. Make sure the water is clean and fresh every day, to keep the turkeys healthy and so that they will drink the water. The waterers during the winter need to be free of ice or not frozen so that the turkeys can still drink. Heated waterers can be purchased at most local farm supply stores.
For turkey poults, when they are just starting out you need to make sure that the poults are knowing where to get feed and water. Have red waterers and feeders help because the birds are attracted to the red color.
Using aluminum foil can also help by rolling it into a little ball to place in the waterers and feeders to help attract the poults.
Also, make sure the waters are not big enough to where the turkeys could fall in because they then have a possibility of drowning or becoming too cold from being wet. It also helps keep the litter dry and thus, easier litter management. Biosecurity is the main way to keep birds healthy.
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