breeding age for Turkeys.

[Run-A-Muck Ranch]

Can anyone offer any advise on this.
My turkeys are roughly 3-4 months old now. Well yesterday I looked out the kitchen window and there was on of the black spanish toms ontop a blue slate. I am assuming it is a hen. Or will they try and do the deed on anything at this age??
At what age to they start laying eggs??

These questions might have already been asked other places. If so please just point me in the right direction.

Thanks
Shawna

 

[sandspoultry]

They are to young at 3 to 4 months, they are probably just trying to figure the mating thing out. lol At the age yours are now they will lay in the spring.

Steve in NC

 

[Run-A-Muck Ranch]

Quote:
Thanks for the info. I figured he was just practicing. Just wanted to make sure. So around a year or so is roughly the age they will start laying??

 

[sandspoultry]

They can start about 10 months-ish, but they usually lay spring and fall. The most eggs in the spring, the fall laying is much less.

Steve in NC

 

[Run-A-Muck Ranch]

Thank you again.....

You know I always wanted Turkeys. I love having mine. I just can't wait for them to start laying...
When I got these I couldn't just choose 1 or even 2. Heck not even 3 or 4. I had to get 8. We have black spanish and blue slate. We named them after 'Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs!". Sadly we had lost 1 so now it's just the 7 dwarfs....

 

[pdpatch]

Some males have a one track mind, One of our Bourbon Reds keeps trying to breed with our German shepard mixed female dog, and the other males in his pen. So it's possible that the blue slate was not a female.

 

[sandspoultry]

Quote:
We Started with a pair of Midget Whites, (sugar and spice) then a trio of Royal Palms. after that came the Bourbon Reds and White Hollands and Beltsvilles, last was the Standard Bronze. Counting all we in the 200+ range now.

"Everybody loves a turkey"

Steve in NC

 

[IceAngel]

The Agricultural Husbandry info on Turkeys states that they start laying at 6 to 7 months. Apparently Toms are rarely used for mating after the first year due to reduced fertility, so you will want to switch out Toms regularly. Hope this is helpful.

 

[IceAngel]

Well my turkey hens didn't start laying as expected from the animal husbandry site but we do have cold winters so you might have a different outcome if you live in warmer climes. My girls, born last spring, started laying this March.

 

[gKane14]

My turkeys are about 7 to 8 months old now and they just started laying eggs I just checked this evening and they are also fertile so I guess that they usually start laying the spring after they are born