How long does a turkey stay laying for?

[adorable]

I am new to the turkey world. I just bought some from a nice man. I was wondering how long does a hen lay for?Up until what age?I know with chickens it is about 2 years old. Does she lay every day like chickens?

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

I really don't know, but my 7 year old bearded, strutting hen still lays, hatches, & is the BEST mom!

 

[adorable]

AHHHH .. That is really cute. Thanks for the pic. I guess they can lay a long time. What do your feed babies and for how long?

 

[OmaBird]

A heritage turkey will lay until she is 8 to 9 years old if they are breed for good production. The eggs will start to decline but get larger after 5 years. That is part of what makes a heritage turkey what it is. Turkeys do not lay as many eggs as a chicken. About 90 eggs a year I think is average. They lay most of those eggs in the spring. Some will lay through the summer and fall. Most will never lay in the winter without being artifically made to lay with lights.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

I feed turkey & gamebird start for 12 weeks, then T & G crumbles after that.

 

[adorable]

Quote:
Thanks omabird. That does answer my question

 

[adorable]

Quote:
I have babies that are about 3 weeks old ...They were feeding them duck starter. Is that ok?Or is the protein to low for them? Sorry ,but what is T and g crumbles?Is the chick grower.?

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
Some turkeys lay every day but most lay every other day. A turkey hen will lay eggs until she dies however after 3 years fertiliy and hatchability starts to decline. I'm guess you raise chickens now based on your statement about laying. Turkeys are the same way the older they get the less eggs they lay, the more they tend to go broody, and less eggs will develop and hatch for you. People will tell you all day long about their 7 to 10 year old hens still laying and while that maybe true a yearling hen will out lay and out hatch an old girl any day, it's reproductive common sense.

We feed ours 28% protien game bird starter from hatch until 3 months, then 20% start n grow until 5 or 6 months after that a 20% layer feed

Steve

 

[adorable]

Thanks steve. Yes i do raise chickens. First year for the turkeys

 

[OmaBird]

A very good video to watch is by the turkey expert Frank Reese Jr. At the Good Shepard ranch they raise over 10,000 turkeys a year. He will tell you that all though a one year old turkey will lay more eggs, the two year old turkey will have more fertile eggs than the one year old. So if you don't care about fertility and your raising them to eat then a yearling would be the way to go.

I