# will my turkey kill my chicken????



## meme (Feb 19, 2011)

, Hi, I am getting 2 baby turkeys, and 35 baby chicks in 5 days. I am worried that my turkeys will kill my chickens,  but they are not going to be in the same pen, when they are chicks, or grown ups.




                                               Thanks,


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## PattySh (Feb 19, 2011)

I have a tom turkey and 4 hens in with my chickens and roosters. Also 3 quineas in the coop. Everyone gets along fine. I made large nextboxes and the turkeys lay eggs in the same boxes the hens do. One of my orpington hens is sitting on turkey eggs right now, not sure if it's too early in the season or if she will stay on them yet. Time will tell. I am actually getting myself in the mood to go tackle cleaning out the chicken coop as it's nice here today sunny.


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## PattySh (Feb 19, 2011)

Oh I reread your post. You are thinking they will kill each other in the box on the way to your house?? I don't think so, make sure you teach the turkeys how to drink and eat by dipping their beaks tho, they are real stupid about finding the food themselves. I did keep my seperate during the brooding time,  you want gamebird starter for the turkeys. Add grit for both. I mixed them in the big coop fully feathered. Clear plastic storage bins worked great for brooding the little ones hubby cuts lots of slits in the top. Then 4 yr old grandson loved being able to watch them easily.


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## meme (Feb 19, 2011)

thanks for the help! I am willing to let them free range together during the day, but if they don't get along I can separate them.  When they are little, I am going to brood them in different areas so they can eat turkey starter. Thanks again, we are very excited.


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## patandchickens (Feb 19, 2011)

As chicks they get along real well IME, I have had extremely good luck raising poults with chicks (exact same age) so the chicks teach the poults about eating and drinking, which by reputation poults can otherwise be a bit suicidally stupid about. 

I've kept them together up to, gee I forget, maybe a couple of months?, with absolutely no signs of problems, finally separated them just b/c of neeing to give them more space and they were going to be separated *eventually*.

Turkey poults are really cute, you'll like them, they remind me of Big Bird from sesame street and they do a neat little two-, three- or four- note ascending-scale peep. Although by 4 a.m. I will admit the cuteness factor can wear a bit thin if you're brooding them within earshot of the bedroom LOL

Good luck, ahve fun,

Pat


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## meme (Feb 20, 2011)

Thanks pat, I can`t wait to get them, their coming in three days, this wednesday.




                            Thanks,


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