Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: eneville on December 02, 2012, 20:57

Title: Turkeys
Post by: eneville on December 02, 2012, 20:57

After wondering if we could keep a goat, we've started to wonder about having other birds too. Does anyone keep turkeys and do they get along with chickens?

(p.s. We really want a goat, but I think she'd need to have quite a large fence and I've no idea how we'd regain control her if she ran off!)

Title: Re: Turkeys
Post by: joyfull on December 02, 2012, 21:08

you really shouldn't keep turkeys and chickens together. There is a disease called blackhead which can be passed from chickens to turkeys. All birds can get it but turkeys are more susceptible to it. If you do keep them together then you really do need to worm your birds very frequently to help stop this.

Title: Re: Turkeys
Post by: eneville on December 02, 2012, 21:18

Thanks, I guess I'll give it a miss then... so the goat may be a more sensible option then? :)

Title: Re: Turkeys
Post by: Sassy on December 03, 2012, 07:49

I'm no expert but it may be unkind to keep only one goat as they are herd animals. :)

Title: Re: Turkeys
Post by: GrannieAnnie on December 03, 2012, 09:00

Sassy's right, goats really need at least one friend.  When we got a Bagot goat, he was castrated and had horns, so we had to get the same so the other one wouldn't be bullied and ended up going from Essex to the wilds of Derbyshire to get his friend!   :)

Title: Re: Turkeys
Post by: ANHBUC on December 06, 2012, 15:32

I have hens and 2 turkeys poults.  I do worm them with flubenvet as they are on ground that the hens have been on this year.  They are in a separate enclosure now as they are big and excitable.  When one of the hens gets in with them it is like a Benny Hill sketch of the hen running around being chased by 2 gangly turkey poults.   ::)