I have always heard that you shouldn't have turkeys in the same pens with chickens. They can catch diseases like blackhead. A few weeks ago we visited an Amish store, and out back there were 5 Broad Breasted Whites in the same yard as their New Hampshire Reds. We asked about the turkeys and arranged to have one butchered and dressed. It weighted 19 and half pounds when it went into the oven and costs us 13.50. We roasted it fresh. It was wonderful.

We have a nice chicken house with 19 mixed hens. There is one section, 8 X 12 that is empty. We normally brood our broilers in that side. It does have a door to the fenced yard. We do plan on raising 10 or 12 turkeys this year and were prepared to build a "sunporch" area for them. I already have the lumber so it would just be labor hardware cloth. We plan to harvest most of them at 12 pounds or so, because that's the ideal size for deep frying and is okay for smoking too. Just 3 or 4 would be brought all the way to Thanksgiving.

So the real question is.... how do you all feel about raising them with the chickens as opposed a separate housing area? They would be brooded until fully feathered, 5 or six weeks, then given access to the chicken yard. They would get more exercise that way, and be able to peck and scratch, etc. Your opinions are always appreciated. Thanks

-- Rick Powell (rpowell@email.ccis.edu), February 21, 2001

Answers

I always get a few chicks to put in with my baby turkeys. They teach them to eat and drink. After they are about 2 months old I start free range everyone. If I decide to keep them penned up together is where when they are older is when we have problems. My chickens will them pick on the turkeys butts when they strut around. I find letting the turkeys run around seems to build up their breasts. But the last month before thanksgiving I like to pen the turkeys ( separate) and feed them cornmeal. Makes for fat 30 to 40 lb birds.

-- Linda (hesscat@cot.net), February 21, 2001.

It is my very rudimentary understanding that when you keep turkeys where you have raised chickens that the soil may contain blackhead, a parasite spread by chickens which does not hurt them, but is fatal to turkeys. Our Amish friends in PA never have turkeys and chickens penned together or even sharing the same ground. Brad and I had this conversation when he and his wife visited us in PA. I think I recall him saying that he had tried this once and lost all his turkeys. How about it Brad?????? God bless.

-- Lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), February 21, 2001.

How about raising them with ducks? I have an extra area with my ducks that I could utilize, but I do, upon occasion let the ducks out to free range with the chickens, so would they transmit the disease? Any thoughts? Jan

-- Jan in CO (Janice12@aol.com), February 21, 2001.

Having had some very expensive lessons in raising mixed poultry, I now know much more than I ever wanted to know about Blackhead disease, and I'll offer the following: Blackhead is actually a soil borne parasite that is very commonly carried by chickens, but does not cause them problems. However, when it is picked up by turkeys it is virtually always fatal, and nearly incurable. Symptoms are lethargy, drooping head and tail, and a day or so later - rigor mortis. It is rare for turkeys to contract it if penned, ie on wire or litter. But if you raise them on soil that has recently (a few years) been ranged by chickens they can pick it up. The key to prevention is medicated feed, which will protect them, and almost always prevent the disease. However, here is the caveat. Having learned about this problem, I had my turkeys in a separate pen in the barn, with their own door to their own outside pen. Chickens had grazed that area (I free range the chickens) and still joined the turkeys from time to time. But I had them on the medicated feed, so no problem, right? Wrong! After getting to know the poultry expert at U Maine personally, he concluded (after an autopsy) that the turkey had indeed succombed to Blackhead aven though it was on medicated feed. The reason was that the pasture was so lush that the turkeys were mostly grazing, and eating little bought feed, and thereby getting insufficient medication. Thereafter, I did not let the turkeys outside until afternoon, and locked them in at night, which solved the problem. Were I you, I would contact the County Extension service and get their input for your area. GL!

-- Brad (homefixer@SacoRiver.net), February 21, 2001.

Keep talking, I'm planning on a dozen turkeys this summer, and will be taking notes. Thanks!!

-- Action Dude (theactiondude@yahoo.com), February 21, 2001.

Hi, We have raised Turkeys and Chicken together for years. We haven't had a problem with BLACKHEAD.oUR Chickens are free ranging and roost at night. We only have 8 turkeys each year. This year were not buying any. They like to eat a lot of chicken feed and we lost money on it.Well Good Luck and God Bless

-- PRISCILLA (Mtasheacres@aol.com), February 21, 2001.

Do you feel lucky, punk? Well, do you, huh?

Thing is, it's a gamble. Blackhead in turkeys is caused by a parasite (worm? from memory) which does no visible damage in chickens. Mostly you win. When you lose, you (and the turkeys) lose big time.

I'd check with whatever sources of free agricultural advice you have (in my case that would be state department of agriculture, in your case I get the impression it might be more like a land grant college or university).

Your call.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), February 21, 2001.

We've mixed them for 3 years with no problem. We only do free range so don't have a choice. I would guess the diseases are prevalent in more intensive operations. This is a good reason to raise your own chicks if you can. The turkey do eat a lot of chicken feed, but it is pretty easy to set up the feeder in a pen with a small door that the turkeys can't get through. Home raised turkeys are far superior to store bought, and well worth the effort. Our extended families were amazed by our Christmas turkey. No one even got tired of the leftovers and we were frozen in (10 or us in a 1300 square foot unfinished house) for 10 days after the ice storm!

David C and Kim

-- David C (fleece@eritter.net), February 21, 2001.

Run them together - I have been doing this intensivley for years - never lost a turkey. The secret - put a clove of crushed garlic in the water every day for the first twelve weeks of the turkeys life. The end. Chickens love the garlci water!

-- Ashley Tulley (alt@mcw.com.au), October 29, 2001.