can i keep turkeys and chickens together in the same coup?
Image by e_monk
It seems the two near the center (3rd and 4th, left claws up) are black vultures roosting with (well, hanging out with) turkey vultures. Thanks to marsden.joseph and buckeye for the confirmation (below)
View large on black
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Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Incertae sedis
Family: Cathartidae
Genus: Coragyps
Species: C. atratus
Binomial name: Coragyps atratus
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Incertae sedis
Family: Cathartidae
Genus: Cathartes
Species: C. aura
Binomial name: Cathartes aura
Question by Deborah C: can i keep turkeys and chickens together in the same coup?
and if you know about raising turkeys, are they very problematic? what about the males are they mean as roosters?
What do you think? Answer below!
10 Responses to can i keep turkeys and chickens together in the same coup?
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maybe…..depends on how they animals act…..
i guess you could……….good luck! lol
Madison G
November 23, 2011 at 3:41 pm
Yes, you can. We had guineas, and turkeys in the chicken coop. we never had a problem till we bought some roosters. Then the roosters started plucking each others, and the hens feathers off. The guineas and turkey wouldn’t let the roosters bully them, but the hens had a hard time.
Flutterfly *
November 23, 2011 at 4:24 pm
no, you have to use a coop
(a coup is a cut or decisive blow in a contest)
yyyyyy
November 23, 2011 at 4:49 pm
Just be carefully when you introduce them. Watch for signs that they are being aggressive towards each other. If they appear to be cohabitating just fine then you probably won’t have any problems. If they appear to be fighting then I would quickly seperate them.
ajmommy002
November 23, 2011 at 5:36 pm
turkeys are some of the dumbest animals on earth…..seriously dumb…lol id say yes you can raise turkeys and chickens together depending on the size of your coop and the numbers of birds…and yes male turkeys are every bit as problematic and mean as roosters…they have to be to get the hens…i personally wouldnt put too many turkeys in with the chickens as they may squash them…turkeys are pretty big and heavy also they may affect you hens egg laying becouse the hens may be affraid of them..but i dont see anyother real problems…..but do keep those dumb turkeys out of the rain…they will drown becouse they look up to see where its coming from and drown themselves…see dumb…lol…good luck and happy eating….
the answer man.....
November 23, 2011 at 6:17 pm
sure
Denise
November 23, 2011 at 6:18 pm
heck no unless you want them to die i almost got mi finger tore off by a turkey
Natasha R
November 23, 2011 at 6:21 pm
Yes any puoltry can be in the same pen, I have ducks , chickens, turkey in the same pen and they eat the same.
beth
November 23, 2011 at 7:12 pm
When you keep turkeys with chickens in a coup, there shouldn’t be any issues as the chickens see the larger turkey as the superiour and gather round them or follow them.
In the Uk, farmers run a few turkeys with their chickens because they can be fattened up for xmas, but also because when a fox attacks, they pick off the chickens as they scatter about trying to escape. In the case of a stag turkey, he will stand his ground, but the chickens will gather round him, and so not scatter in panic.
The only problems with turkeys is they rule the roost and having an actual rooster can lead to problems if you plan to have fertile eggs from your chooks. The turkey is top of the pecking order and will actively prevent the rooster from mating with the chickens, even though he will rarely if ever attempt to mate the chickens himself. If there are female turkeys around, then this becomes an even rarer event as the turkey mates the females, but still prevents the rooster from mating the chickens.
Another problem is food. As turkeys are a big bird, they require lots of food to grow and even as an adult, consumes large amounts on a daily basis. Chicken feeders or troughs may need to be topped up several times a day otherwise the more dominant turkey will take the larger share and some of the lower chickens may get little or nothing. It may be an idea to feed the chickens and turkeys from several feeding areas where they can not be dominated by one bird.
Turkeys also produce a lot of poop and so can become very smelly if they are not cleaned out on a regular basis or allowed to live free range. Living free range has its drawbacks, as the turkey may attempt to roost in a tree at night or on a fencepost which leaves them open to predators. They tend to prefer outdoor roosting to the chicken coop, even in the worst winter weather, and so to prevent this, split the daily meals into two. Once in the morning, and the last, just before dusk, and in the coop. Once in, they don’t get let out again.
Feral
November 23, 2011 at 7:37 pm
NO the chickens will get a disease from the turkeys
lovesunflowers78
November 23, 2011 at 8:33 pm