Breeding Question...

[paulandashia]

I wanted to know... Has ANYONE ever bred a BBW hen to a Heritage Tom?
How did the poults turn out? Did they grow like the BBW's or slowly, like the Heritage?

 

[R2elk]

I wanted to know... Has ANYONE ever bred a BBW hen to a Heritage Tom?
How did the poults turn out? Did they grow like the BBW's or slowly, like the Heritage?

A long time ago, I crossed a BBW hen with a Bourbon Red tom. Due to poor incubation techniques I only managed to hatch one egg. When the poult grew up, it turned out to be a beautiful huge tom which looked very similar to a BBB. His growth rate was not quite as fast as the BB but still much better than the heritage turkeys.

 

[chickenscott87]

I just started raising turkeys and I have 3 bourbon red hens and two toms but it's mid Dec and they just started laying eggs is this normal?

 

[R2elk]

I just started raising turkeys and I have 3 bourbon red hens and two toms but it's mid Dec and they just started laying eggs is this normal?

It depends on where you are located and whether or not you provide additional light. Where I am (Wyoming), my turkeys will not start laying until the last week of March.

If you are in the South it is not uncommon for turkeys to begin laying at this time of year. If you provide extra light such as people do to keep their chickens laying, it can also affect the laying cycle of turkeys.

Good luck.

 

[chickenscott87]

I'm in kentucky, it's 30 degrees here on warm days and 20s on the coolest days.. I do have heat lamps in all my coops, I just only thought chickens were the only ones who layer all year round with the light