You're right, your birds don't have to be with the turkeys to pick something up, but it sure increases the chances. Sun light, drying and time all kill certain pathogens, although not all, and so reduce the chances that your birds will pick something up after the turkeys have passed through. Airborne transmission is another factor, and is more likely to infect your birds when they're right next to a sneezing turkey as opposed to passing through the same airspace a day or week later. You need to worry about any number of poultry diseases that can be passed between chickens abd turkeys, salmonella, AI, not H5N1, the big bad media scare AI, but there are strains in this country, and have been for years, which still occur and have been shown to be passed from wild birds. They'll cause intrastate movement of birds to be stopped, and complete depopulation of your entire flock if it's found to be infected. Roundworms, whipworms, mites and lice are easily transmitted, and are very common.

The best bet would probably be just to leave them alone and they will probably stop coming around once you're out in the yard doing yard work and stuff.

Martha, it all sounds wonderful. A happy partner, the large space for gardening, welcoming house...I hope you and your new DH have many happy years there. You've certainly had your hands full for December, either a wedding or a move this month would be a lot...and you've done both :) What a shame about the plumbing, sounds like you are dealing with the discovery with much grace. I hope you'll have photos to share with us - when the wall is sealed again, of the house and the garden , if not soon, this Spring when things begin to wake up... It sounds to me like an indoor kitty would fit right in to your household - you might consider one and give it access to your attic.

I'm pretty sure if they have babies they won't be in a flock. The hens go off by themselves when they raise them so maybe you should be just as wary if you see a single hen. I'd never heard of anyone being attacked but will be more cautious myself now. Gardenweed is right, they're BIG when their wings are outstretched. I pulled in my driveway once and one flew up in front of my car only a couple feet from my windshield and I nearly had a heart attack. lol I haven't had any damage in my garden that I know of but don't have as many as you. I see them in our field but they rarely come up in my yard. I suspect they could wipe out a lot of seedlings in a hurry if they thought they looked appetizing but rabbits can too. Turkeys DO eat grasshoppers and that's a big plus. I wonder if they eat ticks. (hope so) It's still amazing to me how common they are now. Ten or twelve years ago, I had never seen a wild turkey at all. Now I see them almost daily if I'm out driving. Loved the videos. I think all the "attacks" were just people being followed. I'd be running too. lol Hope they won't flog you the way a rooster can. That's something to take seriously. Good luck Docmom. I think you may need to protect your seedlings with wire mesh or something. It might be easier to plant them out in a nursery bed for awhile spaced closely so they're easier to protect. Or at least protect your most precious seedlings until you get an idea of how destructive the turkeys and other critters are going to be.