6 month old slates male or female????need to know

[OmaBird]

They should not breed in winter but that depends on where you live. I have never had a single winter egg. Page 17 in the breeding manual it says...

Choose hens that reach sexual maturity by 28 weeks of age and are ready to breed at the appropriate time of year. Turkeys do have some breeding seasonality which is variable with latitude and weather conditions. For example in Central Kansas the following varieties will, on average, come into lay during these months:

Beltsville – January/February
Bronze – February
Narragansett – March
Bourbon Red – April
Black – late March/early April
Slate – late March/early April
Royal Palm – April or later

 

[ivan3]

Our Royal started on 12/13/05 (hatched 06/02/05), flew out of run and laid one enormous egg and, a day later, one misshapen small egg then she stopped. Took up again in 2/06, By 2/25/06 she was getting serious:

The Slate hen didn't start until 03/06 (also hatched in June `05). So there is considerable variation though pretty seasonal.

The reason we knew the Royal had started is that we saw her flying back into the run and checked the brush she had flown out of. They should have predator proofed nesting locations prepared in advance and you'll need to be very consistent about breaking up `unauthorized' nests and moving the eggs to safe nests (they'll catch on).

Once they go broody they'll usually leave the nest once a day in the afternoon to poop/dirt bathe/remove bad eggs. If you observe any `yellow' poo don't worry that she's developed `blackhead' disease, she'll eat some of the bad eggs and since she'll be drinking more water than eating - some of the yolk will pass right through.

If you find busted eggs out in the run it is usually because she'll carry bad ones off to a safe location from nest (no contamination of good eggs/smell to attract preds) This one was dropped about a 60yds from the nest:

 

[OmaBird]

You make a good point. I free range my turkeys durring the winter. But before that first egg is layed they get locked up. They will hide there nest but the preditors always find them.