Help me identify this egg. (updated with nest)

[briana1975]

This was found outside near our coop(50ft away)by the kids in a large pile of leaves. We have 2 pairs of turkeys. Sweetgrass and Bourbon Reds. They are around 6 months old. The sweetgrass hen has taken to following me or my husband around and laying down so we can pet her. The tom has taken advantage of this at least 3 times. Could this be her egg or a Bourbon Red egg. They are a little younger though, and I have not seen any mating, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened. It is the size of a large chicken egg but with more of a point on it end.

 

[Matt A NC]

The sitting down sounds like she may be squatting for you wanting to be mated. Most likely her egg.

Matt

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

It's a turkey egg. She has just started laying, the eggs will get bigger. With turkey mating it's "hens choice" the hens will lay down for the alpha tom. She thinks you guys are turkeys. You should be feel honored.

Steve in NC

 

[TedsFarms]

Nice turkey egg.

 

[briana1975]

My hen has been disapearing on and off and I havn't been able to find her. Not long periods of time but for maybe 30 min. or so. Well this morning she came out from beside of the house in my lavender and sage plants. When I went over to check it out there is her nest with 2 more eggs in it. I noticed her taking a lot of intrest in this spot over the weekend. One egg was very warm, just layed the other was cold. I do not have an incubator and have no intrest in hatching poults with winter coming on in Michigan. Should we just eat the eggs and hope to get more come spring?

 

[ivan3]

She shouldn't be too intent on continuing this behavior much longer, but I've been surprised before and take no chances. She is happy with this location: Take one egg per day (mark a couple and leave them) and she'll continue to lay there. If the nest is too disturbed she might well take off into an area that is more difficult for you to access and/or more easily available to preds.

In the spring (when hens get serious) it is a good idea to have a safe nesting area arranged before they start presenting to you or the toms (lie down in front of you - if you pick them up they'll be `purring') otherwise they can wander off pretty far in search of a good nesting place. If you are around when the hens go into egg-laying mode you'll see the hen start wandering in a distracted fashion, making forlorn, regularly spaced, `whoots' as she goes. If you just happen to see them wander back in the evenings to range, or hang around, with the flock (what you just described) it indicates she's just working on gettting the egg count at the nesting location to the `magic' number, and it will be time to track down the nest and move the eggs. If you wait until she sets, and her nest is in a thicket of thorny vines, it can be a challenge to move her (even after dark).

 

[briana1975]

Thanks that is good to know.