Jealous of hens laying eggs!

[Lagerdogger]

I'm jealous of all the egg layers right now. Tough winter, lots of snow still on the ground, and zero turkey eggs. They usually start around March 15. The latest that they've started laying is March 25 until this year. Now it is April 5 and still no eggs. I think I figured that May 14 is the latest acceptable hatch date for Thanksgiving birds, so there is still some hope, but prefer a May 1 hatch.

I finally have a red palm Tom and a black-winged Narragansett hen, so all the offspring will be golden phoenix, but I don't want to hatch too many if they won't be ready in time. I've been cross breeding for golden phoenix for three or four years now, and I'm so close. It's a frustrating year to not get any early eggs.

 

[retlaw]

I am further north then you but closer to the coast and my turkeys started laying april 1st. That's 13 hours from rise to set.
No snow here.
There is always Christmas dinner.

 

[cracked egg]

3 hens started laying 1 week ago,my other 3 have not laid a egg yet. It has been cold,windy and snowy here and seems as if spring will never come.

 

[Lagerdogger]

First egg today! I have two more days to get some in time for Thanksgiving! I probably won't start up the incubator for two eggs. We will probably try to hatch 10 eggs or so and butcher them as needed throughout the winter. I rarely freeze a turkey.

 

[retlaw]

Do you still have snow on the ground their?

 

[Lagerdogger]

It is mostly gone now. Two days ago the whole turkey pasture was a solid 14 inches. Now it's half exposed ground and the snow is not deep. I think it will be snow free tomorrow.

My black-winged Narragansett hen layer her first egg today.