Egg laying specifics please?

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

I have two Narragansett girls, one is about 10 months old, the other is about 8 months old. I am hoping they will begin laying very soon. Are turkeys more like ducks or chickens as far as egg laying goes? My ducks lay first thing in the morning, every morning. Chickens lay throughout the day; are turkeys the same? Will a turkey lay an egg anywhere (like the ducks

) or will they use a nesting box practically from the first egg (like chickens). Are they daily eggers? Or is it more like 3 or 4 per week? If they don't choose a nesting box, will they "build" a nest?

 

[ivan3]

If you want them to nest in a particular location, you'll need to provide nesting arrangements for them. If you do not they will be high tailing it to some out of the way location they think is acceptable. They will lay on a daily basis until the magic number is reached and then go broody. Our hens would lay (anytime during the day) and then spend the rest of the day/or evening ranging with the flock (would fly straight up off the nest out in the woods and glide in to forage and roost with their buddies - easy to ID location and take eggs away).

 

[Belgian Lady]

My Narragansett hens are starting to lay now. I have two sets of test eggs in the incubator. I had someone contact me wanting to purchase some eggs from me. Can anyone tell me what to charge for the Narragansett eggs? Thanks
Roxanne

 

[ivan3]

Belgian Lady , if no-one comes along to answer in this thread, you might consider starting a new one over in the Other Poultry For Sale subject line and, or, start a new thread here.

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

Thanks Ivan! They're cooped for the winter (3 birds in an 8 x 12 coop, lots of room) and I think I'll keep them cooped at least until I have an incubator full of eggs!

 

[boxermom]

I have 3 BR's that are laying. The one that has been laying the longest, lays her egg out in the middle of the floor in front of the feeders. The other 2 lay theirs in the brooder box. All this is despite the fact that I set up the ex-large dogloo in the barn over in the corner where they could feel safe and secluded. Nope. Not what they want.

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

Quote:
Interesting Boxermom! That is good info; I'm wondering if I'll have to sift through shavings to find my eggs if they don't like the nesting box I've set up....

 

[boxermom]

If I don't look closely, the chickens scratch and cover it up. I have stepped on a few.

 

[pdpatch]

A turkey hen will choose the location of the nest no matter what you put in the pen/cage/coop to nest in.
Generally they pick a comfortable spot for them which may be near a wall of covered area. If you have more the one hen they can lay in clutches or groups where more then one hens layers here eggs in the group until they reach 6 to 9 or more eggs. Then one of the hens should go broody and sit on the eggs. One or more of the hens will may decide that they want to sit on the eggs in that case they may fight over the clutch of eggs, of they happens then it's possible they may break a few or all of the eggs then they will start over laying. If you have several turkey hens, a clutch of eggs may and usually does contain eggs from several hens. They may alss steal eggs from one clutch and move them to another clutch.

If the clutch does not reach there "magic number of eggs" then they will continue to lay.

When they first start to mate the first eggs may not be fertile until they get the hang of mating. So you should check the fertility by candling or cracking one open to check.

Tom

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

Thanks pd, but I certainly will be collecting eggs on a daily basis to delay broodiness as long as possible... Hence all the questions

one thing I'd still really like to know is do they lay like ducks (predictably, at the same time every day). Or are they more like chickens (on a 26ish hour laying schedule)? I'll be devastated of even one egg freezes as I have been eagerly awaiting these eggs for months!!