Anyone raising turkeys for eating eggs?

[WestfarthingHomestead]

Good morning! I think turkey eggs are beautiful, although I'm a bit nervous about the turkeys themselves. I've never raised them and I hear it's no picnic, especially in Alaska. I'd love to have, like, maybe three Narragansett hens. Will they lay without a Tom, like chickens do without a rooster?

 

[ColbyNTX]

Turkeys are as easy as chickens. They will lay without a Tom but they are seasonal layers. Spring to summer usually.

 

[WestfarthingHomestead]

Thanks!

I also like the Royal Palm turkey.

I was thinking, if I only have less than a handful of turkeys I could raise them with the chicks.

I know there are pros and cons of having chickens and turkeys together, but I was thinking if they came from the same hatchery and grew up together they might be all right. Although, I'd be afraid to have a full-grown tom in with my chickens.

 

[zzGypsy]

Quote:
my tom doesn't bother my chickens... once he and the rooster got it sorted out. took about 2 days of boxing, no injuries. one of the hens had to have a bit of scrapping with the tom too for the first afternoon, but no harm done, not really any feathers lost either.

these were grown rooster & hens & tom, so my guess is if they were raised together, they'd work it out as they go along. sometimes you get some that are just too scrappy and won't leave it be, but I'd think you could expect most of them to work it out.

what part of alaska are you in? My sister's in Wasilla.

 

[SkyWarrior]

Mmm, turkey eggs are awesome!

I'm planning on doing that next year with heritage breeds.