Chook Me!

Is it going to bo safe to raise my young turkey flock in a pen next to my chicken coop ?

I have a large well built chicken coop w/ an outdoor screened area, and my turkeys are housed in a similar manner both buildings are attatched to each other in a L shape. my question is will it be safe to raise my turkeys in this manner without them getting blackhead disease from the chickens ?. I have been told that they should be seperated because of this disease risk but only after i built the coops, they are seperate but are close together do you think this will be OK /

Public Comments

1. Hi, Quoted from DEFRA "Blackhead is a disease that affects the lower digestive tract of turkeys. It is caused by a parasite called Histomonas meleagridis. The organism is also found in chickens and gamebirds often without causing severe disease. It is not transmissible to humans. In turkeys the signs of disease are not very specific but may include loss of appetite, a stilted gait when walking and darkening of the skin on the head. Affected birds may die. The disease is present in UK and owners of birds must use good hygiene measures to prevent infection".