# Turkey and pygmy goats



## broodysilkies (Jun 22, 2014)

I am planning on buying 2 pygmy goats (my first goats) from a local breeder in the next few weeks. I was wondering if they could be kept with a turkey? They would be about 8 weeks old when I get them. Any comments or thoughts would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would not keep them with a turkey.


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## broodysilkies (Jun 22, 2014)

Thank you! That was my thought too but my mother thought it might "help protect them." Thanks again!


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

Agreed! They might not get along, plus turkeys are messy and can spread parasites like cocci and such.


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## Cactus_Acres (Sep 24, 2013)

I thought poultry cocci was different from the goat variety. But on all other counts you've got it nailed. They are messy, birds perch on water buckets and poop in the water, and there are many other diseases and parasites that can cross species.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

A female or male turkey? I ask because I have 2 female turkeys living with my goats to eat rodents. They are all very happy with the arrangement. Turkeys don't perch on water buckets, they are too big. They are messy but, that's just cleaning up after them...
The turkeys have kept rodents out of my barn and yard better than 15 cats ever did.


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## broodysilkies (Jun 22, 2014)

Male. He is almost THIRTY pounds... He is BIG and the pygmy goats will be young so I don't want him hurting the goats. But I didn't know if he would or not and that's why I wanted to see if any of you had kept goats with turkey's before. I don't want to risk the goats health at all so turkey has to move. THANKS EVERYONE!


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## Greybird (May 14, 2014)

I have had turkeys for ages and this spring I got some new goats. 
I don't keep them penned together but they have met face to face a few times and they don't seem to have much interest in each other. Once they scoped each other out and decided that those weird aliens weren't predatory, there was no hostility from either side.

I have heritage turkeys that can, and do, FLY (very well!) and I've noticed that the goats do get alarmed when the turkeys fly overhead, but who could blame them? I know the turkeys won't hurt me and that they can steer well enough to avoid colliding with me, but I still duck when they cruise over my head!

It's like some ancestral reflex kicks in or something: Incoming!! Hit the dirt!


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## Chadwick (Jan 24, 2014)

goathiker said:


> A female or male turkey? I ask because I have 2 female turkeys living with my goats to eat rodents. They are all very happy with the arrangement. Turkeys don't perch on water buckets, they are too big. They are messy but, that's just cleaning up after them...
> The turkeys have kept rodents out of my barn and yard better than 15 cats ever did.


Really, do they eat them or scare them?


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

I'm gonna guess they eat them, my chickens kill and eat mice in the hay shed. And a Turkey's way bigger!


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## Greybird (May 14, 2014)

They eat mice!
After all, a mouse isn't much bigger than a large grasshopper or a cicada. 
I have also seen my turkeys eat very small snakes. I don't think they would eat a rat, and *shudder* I hope I never find out for certain about rats.


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## Frosty (Feb 13, 2010)

I have a male and a female turkey and they share the pasture with my goats. They are kept in different stalls at night time but do roam the same pasture and I have had no problems.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

They do eat rats. They dig up the nests and eat the pinkies. It took about 2 years and they had killed off all of the rat population.


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