Chickens and turkeys are farm birds that are bred by poultry farmers at home. Because of this, many owners believe that they can be kept in the same house. Let's consider whether it is possible to keep broiler chickens and turkeys together, the pros and cons of keeping them together. How to build a poultry house correctly, what conditions to create, how to organize a collective walk, how to feed the birds.
Is it possible to keep broilers and turkeys together?
Still, chickens and turkeys are different birds. They have different needs, require different conditions of detention and do not have the same food. The size of the birds and their behavior are also different.This should be taken into account when it comes to keeping chickens and turkey poults together. Before you decide to keep a bird in the same house, you need to weigh the pros and cons.
Advantages and disadvantages
To reduce risks, it is recommended to raise birds together from an early age. Then there will be fewer problems.
Conditions for a successful neighborhood
But in private backyards, poultry farmers cannot always provide their birds with separate accommodation. Therefore, they are trying to organize the collective poultry house as best as possible, taking into account the different conditions and needs of the birds.
Keeping turkeys and broilers in the same house should begin from a very early age. This is necessary so that neighbors quickly get used to each other. You should try not to house adult birds together, which will definitely fight and may even injure each other.
Poultry house arrangement
The area of the poultry house should be sufficient for both turkeys and broilers to feel comfortable. For chicken you need at least 0.5 square meters. m, for a turkey – 0.8 sq.m. You need to place perches inside and place nests in different corners so that all the hens have enough space. When living together, you need to take care of the cleanliness of the room.
It is necessary to maintain the correct temperature and humidity when raising young animals and adults. Humidity increases if birds live on dirty bedding and spill water. During walking, you need to ventilate the room every day. When kept together, birds can become infected with internal and external parasites. To ensure that turkeys and chickens are not bothered by parasites, it is necessary to carry out preventive treatments with anthelmintic drugs and products against lice and feather eaters.
Organization of walking
The area of the walking pen should be at least 2 times larger than the area of the poultry house. It is recommended to divide the pen into 2 parts, for chickens and turkeys, so that they spend some time separately.
Features of feeding
Turkeys and broiler chickens should be fed separately because their nutritional needs are different. The food should be placed in separate feeders. It’s easier to feed both of them with mixed feed. Feeding frequency – at least 2 times. You need to pour granules into the feeders not to the top, but 2/3 full. This is necessary to prevent birds from scattering food and trampling it.
Another diet option is wet mash.The volume should be such that chickens and turkeys can eat it in 30-40 minutes. If there are leftovers after feeding, you need to reduce the amount of food. Mixes for chickens should be made from whole or crushed grains of different types of plants. Add herbs, grated root vegetables and vegetables, premixes, meat and bone meal to them.
Laying hens need to be given additional vitamins and minerals during the laying period. The drinking bowls should be filled with fresh, clean water.
The mash is also given to turkeys, the composition of which is approximately the same. While walking, broiler chickens and turkeys can eat insects, pest larvae and earthworms, and nibble grass. Turkeys even eat Colorado potato beetles, helping the owner get rid of garden pests. But birds can find such food only on a free range. There is no such opportunity in the paddock. In the walking yard, birds can only walk, breathe fresh air and get sunbathing. In the pen you need to place a container with sand or ash in which the turkeys and chickens will bathe.
Broilers grow quickly, are fattened in 3 months, and can be slaughtered. Then a new batch can be added to the turkeys. But very small chickens cannot be kept with turkeys; because of their size, the turkeys will dominate and can beat the babies. The chickens must be at least a month old at the time of adoption.
Keeping broilers and turkeys together is not an easy task. For everything to go smoothly, you need to approach the arrangement of the poultry house and run responsibly. Prepare the correct diet for both types of birds, ensuring that there are no conflicts. With proper organization, you can successfully raise broilers and turkeys of any breed.
