Breeding Turkey

[Pinkbow1]

I have 3 tom turkeys and 1 hen turkey. They're all from the same trio.... If I decided to keep them, would they breed? It's naturally a disgusting thought to me. But it's not like I could prevent it from happening.

Would they breed & produce eggs?

 

[TV]

Why do people insist on applying human traits and morals to animals and livestock? Line and inbreeding is quite common in livestock breeding and strain development programs. Yes, they will breed and it's very natural for them to do so.

 

[Pinkbow1]

Okay.... Thank you.

 

[Pinkbow1]

This is my first time having a hen turkey- not so much morals, but uh, my own comon sense. NO, i've never had livestock before. Didn't know... That's maybe why I asked????

 

[Barred Rock Man]

I am new to turkeys, but have many other animals on my dairy sheep and egg farm and have researched turkeys. I have a pair of breeding Bourbon Reds, that were bred right before I bought them. I have read on BYC that a hen will lay up to 100 eggs per year if you keep taking them away. Hatching eggs go for $2+, and poults around go for around $10, if you are like me and sell birds and eggs to make a small profit. A hen will normally go broody in the season and will hatch and brood her own poults if you let her.
I think that you might need to separate your hen from all but one tom, or you might end up with a beaten-up hen and possibly fights between the toms.

 

[Kevin565]

Oh they'll defiantly breed together. However, your sex ratio is a concern to me. Are you planning on keeping all the toms? Plus later down the line you can always add in new blood to prevent some genetic issues from inbreeding.

 

[Pinkbow1]

I have separate pens I'll probley split them up in if I don't sell a few by then. I'm hoping to make them free range by the time their grown up completely, or just let them roam my backyard.