Is raising turkeys with chickens a good idea?

For many years, raising turkeys and chickens together was strongly discouraged. Despite this, many poultry farmers are returning to the mixed flock approach. There are great benefits to keeping a mixed flock. But there are also some serious health risks associated with it.

The big question a flock owner needs to answer is: What are the risks, and do the benefits outweigh them? Let’s give you the information you need to make that decision. And some tips if you decide that raising turkeys with layers (poults plus chicks together) is the idea for you. Let’s get started!

Many people who end up raising turkeys with chicks do so by accident. I have been raising turkeys with chicks for years! But I never planned to do it, it just happened that way.

Anyone planning to raise turkeys and chickens must be aware of the potential health risks.

Blue head is the main problem

Unlike keeping, for example, goats or rabbits together with chickens, chickens and turkeys can share common diseases. histomoniasis problem, also known as blue head disease, is a disease caused by the protozoan parasite Histomonas, which can infect both chickens and turkey poults.

Young turkeys are very susceptible to histomoniasis, unlike their chicken cousins. Any turkey infected with the disease will likely die from it. Little can be done to save the birds without the guidance of a veterinarian.

Where does the infection come from?

This parasite, called Histomonas meleagridis, most often found in infected earthworms and blindworms. When birds ingest these worms, they become infected. Chickens are usually the carriers of the infection, spreading the parasite throughout the flock.

How can I avoid getting infected?

Poultry veterinarians and seasoned poultry farmers will advise people to separate turkeys from their chicks. If you are raising turkeys for meat, be sure to follow these wise words of caution!

For those of us, who wants to keep domestic turkeys with their own laying hens, make sure you introduce either adults or healthy juvenile turkeys into your flock. Young turkeys are very fragile, and histomoniasis is usually fatal. If this is a problem in your area, adult turkeys have a better chance of surviving the infection.

Regional considerations. Bluehead is not necessarily widespread. If you plan to raise turkeys with chickens, it is a good idea to first ask your local poultry farmers about any infections that have occurred in your area in recent years. Ask your veterinarian if histomoniasis is common in your area.

Histomoniasis, are usually a regional problem, unlike coccidiosis and other more widespread diseases that occur almost everywhere.

But keeping adult turkeys and turkey hens with laying hens is a socially beneficial method. Adult birds gradually merged into one common family and feel great. They spend the night together in the hen house and walk in the walking pen.

By the way, adult turkeys are great at separating my pugnacious roosters! They interfere in chicken squabbles and calm down the hooligans. And they even played the role of surrogate mother for the young ones arriving in the hen house better than the old laying hens.

Is raising turkeys with chickens a good idea?

For example, if you’re asking if layers and ducks can live together, or if you can keep different breeds of chickens together? The answer is yes, but with some caveats. If you’re planning on raising birds of different sizes and physical abilities together, you may want to reconsider your coop design.

Turkeys, even the smallest ones, are considerably larger than regular chickens. Chances are, your coop is not designed for a bird as large as a turkey. Turkeys may not fit through your chicken door, they have difficulty climbing chicken ladders, and many ducks do. And high doorways (the threshold into the coop is higher than 40 cm) are sometimes insurmountable for these birds.

If you are building your own coop and want to house a turkey-sized bird, make sure the bird door is close to the ground, no more than 15-20 cm above ground level. Turkeys, especially larger breeds, are not very good jumpers or flyers. Plan ahead and responsibly.

What are the advantages?

Turkeys are unusual birds. Both of the birds I have kept as pets have had different personalities. At best, they were funny, and at worst, they were incredibly stubborn.

They add an interesting dynamic to your poultry experience, and the eggs are fantastic! Honestly, I’m partial to turkey egg omelets.

But I can’t say there are any special advantages, the adults trample together and everything is fine. It’s better to raise the young separately!

Sincerely, Nikita Pavlovich Orlov, Uzhgorod.