[sion01]

I may have the oppertunity keep some chickens again and was also thinking of getting some turkey chicks for Christmas but I remember reading somewhere a few months ago that turkeys will get something called blackhead from chickens and that they shouldn't be kept where they have regular contact.

Haveing said that I remember keeping both on a smallholding when I was a child(well my parents did) with no problems what so ever.This was a really old book circa 1910 so the disease might have been eradicated by now.

Has anybody got any advice?

[bantam novice]

I have read on this forum that they should not be kept together because of the blackhead virus.  I am not an expert, however, and I'm sure someone more experienced will be along to advise.

[joyfull]

I wouldn't advise you to keep both of them on the same ground, the risks aren't worth it. Grannie Annie has both and she thoroughly scrubs her coop and treats the ground inbetween raising chicks and getting her Christmas turkeys.

[hillfooter]

Blackhead is carried by chickens and passed through a cecal worm so rigourous worming and sanitising the ground between populations would be advisable.  They can be kept together but there are significant risks.  However if you are only talking about two or three birds you might take that risk whereas with tens of birds you wouldn't.
HF

[GrannieAnnie]

Like Joy said, we clean very thoroughly the brooder shed in between chickens and turkeys, but the ground that the turkeys run on doesn't have chickens on it at all.  We can't afford to lose any of our turkeys as I don't want to disappoint anyone at Christmas.

I do know a couple of people that have them running together, but your 'housekeeping' should be really thorough and worming every month would be a good idea.

Also just for interest, baby turkeys are called poults rather than chicks 

[sion01]

So in theory if I kept two or three POULTS for Christmas and had a coop/hut just for turkeys and kept them seperate from the chickens everything would be tickityboo.I could keep ducklings in the turkey hut before the poults arrived or are ducks carriers of blackhead too?

[GrannieAnnie]

Hi Sion, I'm afraid I don't know the answer to your duck question, as the few ducks we've raised weren't kept with the turkeys either, but hoepfully your turkey poults will be fine.  Although there are no guarantees, same as there aren't with chickens or other animals!

I lose the occasional weakling in the first week, but am pleased to say our turkeys have never had any illnesses or diseases in the 15 years we've been keeping them.

Good luck with them!