Domestic turkey

[dhansen]

If I had a domestic turkey free ranging, would/could it breed with the wild turkeys that roam my property? Do turkeys lay eggs like chickens or just when they breed? Any info would be fabulous!

 

[Hotwings]

I never heard of a wild turkey mating with a domestic but anything is possible. I would think most wild turkeys would stay with their own kind. As for egglaying I have heard that domestic turkeys lay eggs like chickens but I heard from someone that their shells are a lot harder than chicken eggs.

 

[walkswithdog]

Wild turkeys can and Do breed with ranged turkeys.

Once they started laying mine lay and egg a day, every now and then every other day.

They don't lay as four season round the clock like my chickens. And this is the first season for mine.

I have wild turkeys here, I fully expect if the flock comes through to end up with some wild mixed birds. My Tom is a complete pushover.

Even my chickens beat up on him. Sad.

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

Yes wilds will breed with your domestics and vise versus. that is why in many states with natural wild turkeys it is illegal to free range domestic turkeys, for that very reason. Your tom could and will mate with a wild hen if given the opportunity. You have to really watch it as it could have very bad results on the wild life side of things, lucky around here the only wilds we have are the ones that people raise and let go, thinking they are reintroducing the species ??

 

[deerman]

Quote:
Yes they can, thats why in most states it is illegal to free range turkeys. Here in Ohio it can get you a large fine,and maybe jail time.

 

[Struttn1]

Oh yeah the wilds will breed with the domestics. I bought some young turkeys from a lady once whose standard bronze hens were romancing with the wild Eastern toms behind her house. Those were the neatest turkeys. They looked almost identical to the wilds except they were slightly more plump but they had the awsome dispositions and tameness of the bronze. Very cool birds.

 

[dhansen]

Thank you all! I will check with California's laws on free ranging domestic turkeys. I definitely don't want to break the law.

 

[dhansen]

I have searched and do not know where to find info on CA laws in regards to free ranging domestic turkeys, thus breeding with wild turkeys. Anyone know where to look online for this info?

 

[Plain_View_Farm]

I would check with the Department of Fish and Game
For Calif the web site is
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/

David