Do turkeys lay pullet eggs?

[foursons13]

I have read somewhere that you shouldn't incubate pullet chicken eggs, is it the same for the first eggs a turkey lays? We are planning on hatching some chocolate turkeys from our pair but I want them to be healthy.

 

[rtroxel]

You can hatch these eggs fine. The immediate health of the babies is not the issue. The problem that many people have is that these poults would hatch smaller than their peers and then get off to a rough start. If all your poults are the same size, I don't know that you would have a problem. The second factor involved is that the parents are not proven and might be weak genetically. Therefore, hatching from young stock could cause you to perpetuate genes, etc that are not good.

If you have a rare variety, however, you should probably hatch whatever you can in case you lose a bird and then no longer have access to any more. First, build up your flock, then use time as one of your culling factors.

 

[foursons13]

Thanks so much for the information.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

The chocolate turkey is so rare, I would say hatch them. Then feed a top quality turkey starter to get them growing well. Check out http://www.porterturkeys.com/ for how to raise the poults.

 

[foursons13]

Awesome info. I have been looking into buying more but would love to raise my own. I didnt think she would start laying until spring! Its a bonus. She's laying eggs!!

 

[ColbyNTX]

Quote:
Most only do lay in the spring and summer. A bunch of the ones that lay in the winter usually have some sort of artifical light. I don't have any lights where my birds sleep because I feel they need some kind of break.

 

[love2chicken]

do turkeys need a nesting box like chickens. please help want to try to raise some this spring.