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6:26 pm
March 2, 2011
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Anyone have experience raising both chickens and turkeys? I've had a small flock of laying hens (an avg. of 12 at any given time) for several years and just placed an order at the local feed store for my first meat birds. They're getting a mixed bag of turkeys in from the hatchery, and I'm thinking about raising one or two. Here's my question: Does anyone have experience raising both chickens and turkeys in (relatively) close proximity to one another? When you begin doing some digging on Cooperative Extension sites about raising both types of birds, you quickly find dire warnings about black head disease, which will affect turkeys and is carried by chickens (who aren't affected by it). The official advice is to raise the two types of birds in complete and utter isolation from one another. Surely someone has both chickens and turkeys on their property, if not actually in the same brooder/in the same coop? What about roaming around where they have access to one another? Please share your experiences, and thanks!
–Kirsten
6:53 pm
February 22, 2010
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I've never raised both but I know people who have. Their chickens were free range but the Turkeys were not. They would raise a few turkeys for their family for Thanksgiving. I never heard of them having any problems. Maybe it's a regional thing.
10:43 pm
January 21, 2011
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My dad raised both and I dont remember any such problems, but he is long gone now so I cannot even ask him.
11:40 pm
February 8, 2009
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I have chickens and turkeys, and after we butchered the (meat) turkeys and the coyotes came to finish 4 of my brown ornamental turkeys I put the 2 remaining ones in with the chickens last fall.
They are doing great, I'm not familiar with that disease, but after reading up on it, it seems to be a parasite.
If you get your turkeys from a proffecional hatchery, you may assume that the eggs they use to hatch are parasite free.
You have your chickens for a while and no sign of disease there either..I wouldn't be to worried and if they don't fight…just keep them together.
They can eat the same food, so now worries there either.
Enjoy them, turkeys are not very smart (and now I'm being nice) but kinda funny.
I like keeping them.
7:52 am
February 27, 2011
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I've raised turkeys and chickens (and ducks and guineas) in the same area (but not together) and I've seen it done many times elsewhere. I've worked on many exhibition farms (open to the public – early Americana living history farms) and all the farmers had a few hens and turkeys in the same yard. Long before agriculture had hundreds of the same type of animals together, all the farmers kept all the livestock together.
My suggestion is to take it as one of those things that could happen, but doesn't mean it will happen.
The only other thing I have to say is that turkey poults are much much more delicate than chicks and you may want to order a few more than you think you'll need. They die easily until a few weeks old. It was one of the reasons I stopped raising turkeys.
8:10 am
November 20, 2009
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wickedgood shari I think you are being really kind saying that the turkey poults are delicate, incredibly dumb with a real death wish is my take on the matter. We have raised them over the years and they have managed to commit suicide in the most bizarre ways. However that said it is worth the trouble to have turkey that has not been pumped full of goodness knows what enhancements!!! Though it can also be a bit off putting that it costs almost as much for a day old poult as it does for a grown turkey ready for the oven if you find a really good sale.
8:25 am
February 27, 2011
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LOL Joyce! (well, I did repeat and underline much 
) I tend to purchase organic turkey from a local farm now and we both feel grateful for that.
I do miss calling to the toms now, but it was SO difficult to raise them and butcher them and I also found my meat chickens weighed more than some of my turkeys – I refused to buy the white kind of turkey – so we stopped.
As for those sale turkeys… well they just make me growl. Just as the chickens should be offended about cheap eggs, turkeys should be offended about cheap meat… sigh.
smiles,
Shari
8:57 am
February 10, 2009
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I don't want to totally contradict folks here, but blackhead IS a possibility. Even if you have a 'closed' flock of chickens, and you don't allow any chickens in except the ones you hatch yourself, and you practice ultra safe methods such as having totally separate 'coop boots' that you never wear off the property (you can pick up germs and microorganisms at the feed store where other chicken owners visit etc) and some people even rinse their rubber boots in antibacterial solution etc etc… wild birds can deliver things to your property.
OK, now that I've totally freaked some of you out, I don't do any of that. well, except I'm very careful about bringing in new chickens.
Anyway, blackhead is a possibility, and yes, your chickens can be carrying it right now! You would never know it, but, neither is it a sure thing they ARE doing so.
If I wanted turkeys, I'd get just a few at first, and from a very reputable place and then see how they do. If your flock doesn't have any blackhead in it, there's a decent chance all will be well, and things will be fine. If there IS blackhead in the flock now, you won't be out too much $$$.
If I could separate the chickens and the turkeys, I would myself, but if not and you want to go for it, that's up to you (DUH! Of Course!!). 
//edit to add// even if you don't have it now, wild birds can possibly deliver it to your birds, so there's no guarantees anyway, just letting ya know, not trying to discourage. I tried to get guarantees from Ma Nature, all she does is LAUGH!
9:11 am
February 27, 2011
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After looking into it further at The Poultry Site Discussions I'd have to say that BE Girl is right, but it looks like almost ANY where could be a problem area because of the wild birds, cecal worms or even, possibly, earthworms. They did say that having a wire or slatted floor would be good prevention if one is worried.
10:44 am
March 2, 2011
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Thanks, all! I was thinking of getting a couple of turkeys, but after the reminder about the fragility (or "death wish" issues–ha!), I may get 3 or 4. My situation is that my chickens are confined to their house and fenced run, but the turkeys would have to be free to roam–and maybe penned up in the big barn at night to foil predators. So they wouldn't be housed together as adults, but they could "visit" through the fence, if you know what I mean. The turkeys and the meat bird peeps would have to be brooded near each other, in adjacent boxes in the barn. Turkeys and meat birds are coming from one of the big-name mail order hatcheries, so I'm hoping disease shouldn't be a big threat on that end. The nice thing is that this particular hatchery offers a mix of turkey breeds, so I can get something other than Broad-Breasted Whites. Historically, obviously, various types of poultry were raised together.
Sounds to me like it's worth taking a chance! I'll keep you posted!
6:28 pm
July 15, 2011
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Hey, I was wondering if any of you who thought of getting turkeys, did so? And if so, how did it go? Are they healthy? Are they with the chickens? Would love to hear how it all went.
We've only kept turkeys once. A tom and his hen. They were really neat – unfortunately, the hen was killed by a raccoon one night but the tom lived for quite a while. He'd strut around fanning his tail, loved him!
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