[Clive]

 
Erm... I have to admit to an impulse buy here! Just bought a pair of Norfolk Black turkeys but don't know much about their requirements. Anyone can give me 'turkey keeping 101' in a couple of paragraphs? [blush]

[Moregin]

Purely based on my own experience here but hope it helps....
Really simple mate, just think of big fancy chickens. Younger birds dont do well in the cold or rain so shelter is important. That said mine as adults end up roosting out in all weathers. Turkey food is higher protein so keep them on crumb then grower till about four months to six months old. As youngsters they grow a bit too quick sometimes and can injure their tendons if jumping a lot so house them in enough space with some entertainment to save them making their own. I personally dont mix mine with my chickens as the chooks carry 'blackhead' which isnt harmful to them but turkeys are susceptible. Other than that its the usual clean fresh water and food and secure from predators.

Best of luck!!

[HesterF]

Just a piggy-back question - do you know how far apart chickens and turkeys should be kept to minimise the blackhead risk? I'm getting a new run and was thinking of getting some turkey growers next year. I can keep them in a separate pen to the chickens but probably no more than 20m away from them. Would that be enough?

H

[Shropshirelass]

I bought some turkeys last year in the hope of trying to breed some for xmas & their an absolute nightmare! x

[Eve]

Shropshirelass, what are the issues with them? I was thinking of keeping turkeys...


One of my hens had blackhead (and peritonitis, she may have had other things, she passed away after being ill for a while). She was kept in a different village but those few she lived with are now all in my field, so they may well be carriers 

[Moregin]

No idea of seperation distances. Ive kept chickens and turkeys in the same plot about 15-20 meters apart and had no issue in four years! I might just be lucky so far though.

[leaswood]

im a novice also, bought them a few weeks ago..generally though they seem easy enough..im lucky to have a large dedicated compound for them and a large dry shed..they love the grass and they entertain themselves by following me or the dog around the boundary fence..they have increased in size in varying degrees and are taking time to eat anything other than the grower pallets although i chucked in a load of redcurrants today and they loved them..as mentioned above lots of water and dry house we should be fine..I have vision of mine making 7, 8 kg..i may be wrong??

[TheCaptain]

Loved raising Turkeys, haven't done it this year as I've been too busy with other stuff and really miss them around the place. We usually do about 15 for Xmas, last year they all ended up roosting in one of our trees and snubbing their shed and I let them (rightly or wrongly) free range with my chickens - I think that's a question of space and how much you can dedicate to them. Mine have ten acres to roam over, the fact that they choose to stay in an area only 1/4 acre is their own doing although we did take them for walks around the fields.


Mine were Norfolk blacks, fed on a decent feed and made 7-9 Kg (hens) and 11 - 16 Kg (Stags)

[Mount-B]

We have had turkeys for last three years, they live next door to the hens just a fence between them. We have bronzes for six months, fed on crumb then grower finished on maze and wheat. Stags generally kill out at 20 - 25 pounds and hens at 11 - 14 pounds they loose about 4 pounds on cleaning.
They are real characters and good fun to keep, well worth the effort. Happy to provide more detailed info just pm me.

[Clive]

Not sure how old these guys are. We are hoping to keep them as a breeding pair. My niece thinks they look like vultures at the moment but hopefully the stag will look like a proper turkey eventually!

[TheCaptain]

er, they both look like hens...

[Clive]

Sold as a pair by a reputable seller. The bigger bird seems to be developing wattles but I'm no expert. I assumed they were young birds

[Clansman]

Bird on the right is a stag, compare the legs.

Maybe she's just not very photogenic but the hen looks a bit small and scraggy

i'd guess they are around 12 weeks in that pic, the stag will come on soon, the snood will start getting longer

[Victorian Farmer]

iv not done eney ether but i still dont no why cockrals sell well christmas sale £18 each they all sold and most of the time they are free .Think if you could pic up 20 6 weeks old about 15 weeks work a free christmas for a couple .

[Clive]

Thanks Clansman. The stag is developing nicely now. The hen is growing well too.