Author Topic: hens and turkeys (Read 1787 times)

PaulJill · « **on:** July 23, 2017, 01:34:37 pm »

Good afternoon, I have just joined and this is my first topic. Please be gentle with me. I have kept hens for a number of years and have had great pleasure as well as a plentiful supply of eggs. I am now going to bring on some birds for the table. I want to have up to 10 hens at a time so no problem there. Then when they have been despatched I would like to put a couple of turkeys in. I have read that black head could be a problem. I have not come across this before, so does that mean I can only keep one or the other, or would a good clean which I would do anyway, allow one to follow the other. Any advice would be gratefully accepted. Thanks everyone, Paul.

bj_cardiff · « **Reply #1 on:** July 23, 2017, 04:42:43 pm »

I've kept turkeys and hens together for years without any problems, but I have 20 hens and 10 turkeys free range on about 1/3 acre. I think the problems are to do with something/bacteria that lives in the mud, so if your run turns to mud when it rains it might not be a good idea. If you have enough space that it stays grass all year round then go for it

macgro7 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 23, 2017, 05:39:33 pm »

It all depends if the hens you have had before have carried the blackheads protozoa (parasite) to which hens are immune they can affect turkeys.
I read that blackheads can then be carried by the earthworms and stay in the ground on which chickens have been kept for up to 6 years.... which is bloody long!
They only way to find out really is to get some turkeys!

Eve · « **Reply #3 on:** July 23, 2017, 06:54:32 pm »

I don't know if there's a pooh or blood test for blackhead, so if you've never seen bright yellow colouring on your chickens' pooh it'd be difficult to predict. Maybe read up on blackhead and get the vet's advice in treatment so you are prepared and can act swiftly when the first turkeys arrive and symptoms show?

macgro7 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 23, 2017, 08:40:22 pm »

Evan if you actually do have blackhead, if you worm your turkey regularly (I believer every 6 weeks?) The parasites won't have enough time to develop to a stage when they are life threatening.

landroverroy · « **Reply #5 on:** July 23, 2017, 08:41:20 pm »

Poultry can give Blackhead to pheasants and peafowl as well as turkeys. But cayenne pepper is a very effective treatment. I give it to my peafowl and poultry from time to time as a preventative as they tend to mix with each other. I also give it to them if I think one of the peafowl maybe looks a bit off colour and they've all stayed healthy since I started using it. The recommended dose is 1 tblsp in 20 litres of dried food but I use a bit more just in case and feed it for at least a week. The cayenne pepper is insoluble but apparently you can add it to water as well - it presumably stays in suspension. I dampen the food with a bit of water or cooking oil to make the pepper stick, and the birds eat it avidly - apparently unaware of the taste.

I've always understood that because Blackhead is a protozoa, not a worm, that ordinary wormers have no effect on it. Hence the need for specific Blackhead treatment, and antiblackhead drugs which can be bought in turkey/pheasant feed, but is not added to poultry food.