Please help, so many turkey questions!

[Farmin Momma]

Hi there,

So I have a pair of 1yr old (so I was told) "heritage" breed turkeys. I have not personaly seen the male mate the female other than the day we brought them home, the second that we put the hen into the gigantic dog crate with him he was basicly raping her, even though they had already been kept together. Well my hen has been laying for a few weeks now. We live in the Seattle wa area and have no artifical light in their coop. Which even if we did they don't use the coop (that took me forever and a day to build just for them). Half the time they free range and half the time the tom is locked up as he is not very nice and I have kids that go out with the animals. The hen always has the option to free range as she just flys out. She has about 5 different spots she has tryed laying her eggs, and almost every time I find them I collect them.
One of my questions is....
Should I just leave the eggs where she is laing them to see if she will set and hatch them out? I would really like her to raise me some babies.
Do turkeys only mate durring the spring time or when they are going to raise a clutch?
Do turkey hens only mate with a tom that they choose? Or any that are put with them?

Please help me, I really want MORE turkeys here!!!!

Thanks Sarah

 

[Farmin Momma]

Oh darn I forgot to add this question....
Are turkey hens also like chickens in the way of, when they are ready to set on eggs and be mommas the will sit weather or not there are eggs to sit on?

 

[TammyP]

Hi.

I'm not a turkey expert by anymeans but I've raised them for a couple of years now....so my advice is only based on my own experience for what that's worth...lol.

First off, putting them in a large dog crate sounds a bit confined for two large birds....especially if you want them to mate. I'd make a pen that was at least 8 ft long by 4 ft wide. I've seen my heritage Toms mating and the more room the better. ha!

As for sitting on eggs....I have turkey hens who are still laying who will sit on a nest of eggs....they seem to trade off some and share..... I just gathered a weeks worth of eggs and made a nest of straw and stuck the eggs in it.....pretty soon a hen comes along and sits on it. Make sure you mark them though because if one isn't truly broody then she'll probably lay an egg in the nest and you won't know which ones are the older ones vs the newer ones.

So far I only have one truly broody hen and she is quite wicked if you get close to her nest....I've had to 'arm myself' with protective gear to gather the poults after they hatch and put them in the brooder pen. I didn't separate the gals and the nests are in the nesting box area so I can't leave the babies wandering around....the toms don't seem to fancy the little ones and I'm afraid they will kill them.

Seems my broody hen isn't too thrilled with me at the moment...and somewhat depressed too....I feel bad taking her babies away but I'd like survivors.... had a chicken hen hatch me a BR poult this morning AND a guinea baby...lol. My first guinea baby so I forgot how tiny they are...the baby poults are like 4 times as large as it is. ha.

I'd give yours some more space while gathering eggs and making a straw nest somewhere close to where she hangs out (in the coop).....she'll see them and sit I'm sure.

Hope it goes well and keep us updated! Pictures are nice too.

 

[Farmin Momma]

Ooohhhh no.... Lol the dog crate was only for the ride home! I built them a coop about 4ft long x 3ft wide x about 7ft tall. Kept them in it for about 3 weeks before opening the door to let them into the pen that is about 10x15 ft, but again the hen just flies out when she wamts to. She sleeps on the roof while the tom just sleeps on tje wet ground.

I only have the one pair so i know all the Eggs are her's. I Will make her a few nests to choose from, hopefully she Will lay in them and then sit for me!

Thanks for your help.