ARE MY TURKEYS GETTING READY TO START LAYING?

[amwchickin]

My two females are around 5 months old. They free range with my chickens and everyone are great friends (except for a turkey poult, who is having fighting bouts with my 2 Japanese bantams). I have named the girls Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, well because they are just DUMB. They follow me all over the yard (hoping for treats) and are just too funny to watch.

Okay, enough intro...

The last few days I have noticed a change in both of them. When most of the time they will come to me, but I can't touch them, they now don't budge if I scratch their necks. They will just stop walking and freeze, start breathing heavy and almost start panting and it seems like they are trying to have a real tough poop and they're straining. They will sit like this for maybe 10 minutes and then get up and walk around like nothing bothered them. Even when I mowed the lawn yesterday, one just sat down right in my path and didn't move, no matter how close I got with the mower. I had to stop everything and pick her up to move her to the other side of the lawn. (I was laughing and saying silly bird the whole time...)

Could they be getting ready to lay or is there something else going on?

**I live in southern Indiana and temps are mid 70's to mid 80's right now. Other than this behavior they have acted like I would think normal turkeys do.

Thanks for any help/advice!!

 

[Scottingitup]

They could be thinking you are the alpha male and letting you breed them. Scratch their back with both hands a little - if they ruffle all their feathers and shake then walk off - that would be a confirmation. Most turkeys don't start laying until the season after they are born though.

 

[amwchickin]

Thanks, they just sit there and let me pet them sometimes. Other times they scatter away. The behavior is just odd. They seem healthy, other than the heavy breathing and straining once in awhile.

I'm glad to hear they won't lay until next season. So I can check that off the list of potential things going on!

(Although my dad was really hoping for some turkey eggs in the next few weeks.)