Turkeys

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Jellyhead

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Turkeys
« on: October 03, 2007, 07:59 »
Hi its FC again here. I really like Turkeys, just as pets, and would like a male and female. I have read however, that Turkeys and chickens dont mix well. The man down the road has mixed them and I stop every morning when dropping the kids and speak to the male, who I have called Terence!! Sad but true. Anyway, his chickens and turkeys get on OK and have done for the last 2 years. So I wondered what your opinions were cos I would really like some.
Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most!!

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slowef

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Turkeys
« Reply #1 on: October 03, 2007, 08:08 »
My friend had a Turkey called Henry bought for Christmas and 9 years old when he died!!  He says they are the most friendly birds and his followed him everywhere like a dog, maybe you need just one rather than a pair for friendliness?  I don't know.

Think the reason not to keep them together is
a: Bullying turkeys can be aggresive and fight if bored
b: chickens carry a disease that can affects turkeys

I am sure the oricles will be along to correct me or add other opinions soon :oops:

I think they are ugly things myself, the only bird I am happy to eat :wink:

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muntjac

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Turkeys
« Reply #2 on: October 03, 2007, 12:26 »
had em together both stags an d hens and no worries witht hem just do the regular hygiene and health program going and they wil be fine . a stag and 2 hens is a good number .turkey eggs are a nice treat  you can sell the chicks as well at 46 weeks for meat . plenty greens and feed they will be great .my last stag was called adolf ....... he strutted around the yard like a little hitler ....... tasted fantastic tho  :wink:  :lol:
still alive /............

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Jellyhead

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Turkeys
« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2007, 19:29 »
Thanks Munty, just what I wanted to read. Most people have tried to put me off as there is something that chickens can get which kills turkeys but the same people have also said Urgh, you dont want turkeys they are ugly and aggressive. :lol: Well not to me.  :wink:

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muntjac

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Turkeys
« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2007, 19:36 »
do buy young birds tho .i dont like it when a breeder passes on old birds ,mordsith on the site has turkeys she can point you in the right direction with info as well i have emailed her as she lives local to me  :)

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Bodger

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Turkeys
« Reply #5 on: October 03, 2007, 21:27 »
I've had turkeys that have killed adult ducks. They don't do it all the time but they can and do at times.

These birds had the run of five acres and weren't enclosed by the way.

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muntjac

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Turkeys
« Reply #6 on: October 03, 2007, 21:29 »
thats why i suggest young birds as they get to grow with the rest of the birds and i found the hens bullied the turkey chicks  :lol:

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Bodger

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Turkeys
« Reply #7 on: October 03, 2007, 22:45 »
These had been raised with the ducks. They were Norfolk Blacks destined for the chop at Christmas.

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muntjac

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Turkeys
« Reply #8 on: October 03, 2007, 22:46 »
must had a bad day , i had them n bronzes . patsy ( mordsith ) has some of both if memory serves . i take a sack of barley over everytime i go lolo,really nice lady  :)

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The Dalai Farmer

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Turkeys
« Reply #9 on: October 04, 2007, 09:54 »
And you're a really  nice chap, too, Munty!

Turkeys:  look like vultures but love people.  I keep mine away from my new chickens coz the chicks are banties and SO small!  

We have a dozen this year and they will all go for meat before they reach sexual maturity so I don't expect to have any more problems than last year (we had 6).  We have two bronze, three white and the rest are Norfolk Blacks (from Lincolnshire!!!) :shock:

A friend has a really huge stag that will go for anyone but him - and they are so big when they are fully grown I would keep them away from small animals and children just to be on the safe side.  There are many, many people who breed and show them and they seem fairly docile on the bench.

I feed my turkeys on pellets - something I don't do with the chickens - because they are a "cash crop" creature for Christmas.  It's the organic stuff, but I really don't like  a Mystery In A Bag going into my own larder!  We have never had a sick one, and they live on our field not in a house, so I think they are fairly hardy.

I would suggest that Frenchconnection get a couple and see how you get on - start with a pair of hens and, as confidence builds, go mad and buy a stag poult!

I wish you the very best of luck with them!
I'm sure I should be doing something - not just indulging in surfing this forum.  Anyone know what?

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Selkie

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Turkeys
« Reply #10 on: October 12, 2007, 13:10 »
the couple we got our hens from recently got some turkeys; within a short time 5 of the turkeys died - a vet did a post mortem on one of them and said death was caused by a type of worm which is harmless in hens but kills turkeys.

does anyone know anything about this? is it really harmless to hens? am now wondering if i should be worming our hens...they seem fine though.

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muntjac

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Turkeys
« Reply #11 on: October 12, 2007, 14:06 »
chucks  carry a disease called blackhead which they do not normally succumb to but turkeys can. Blackhead parasite that knocks the liver fer 6 the liver and kills em  The eu prats withdrew Dimetridazole - the stuff once used to take care blackhead - from sale as it was supposedlky dangeroos to  us  metronidazole in  water can be used now but the best thing  good hygiene and worm the turkeys about every six weeks. This interferes with the lifecycle of the heterakis wiggler  which carries the parasite.
also make sure you use flubenvet on other worms cider vinegar alos helps



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