My flock---PICTURES =]

[KOTurkeyRanch]

(I will try to get pics soon but my sister wont let me use her camera in the rain.)I just got one Bronze/Narri cross hen to add to my flock! She is just under one year old. She is very skittish but its gotten slightly better. Will this change? Also, when will she think it is "safe" to lay her eggs? Here in Western PA it has been 50-60 degress and my two gobblers Tom and Jake strut for the whole time they are out in my yard and gobble like crazy! I know they are getting the itch to mate. So my questions are:

-She never mated before, will she know how?
-What are chances of her being infertile?
-Will she eventually stop being so skittish? It seems i cant walk 5 feet away without her running and alarm putting.
-Does humidity affect laying? Right now, its currently has a 98% humidity outside according to GOOGLE
-How long should it take her to adapt to her surroundings?(When will she think it is safe to lay)
-Anyone in PA's hens laying yet?

Also this is off-topic but i would like to know, what natural occurance makes a hen start to lay?

 

[jenjscott]

Length of day is the usual trigger for egg laying. That being said, I have one hen who has been laying all winter. I have 2 bourbon reds laying, but none of my royal palms are laying yet. Usually their hormones will kick in and they will do just fine. If you want her to stop being so skittish, toss her snacks she likes, soon she will be coming to you. Mine are very curious and have to come and see if I have something small and shiny that attracts their attention., especially if they don't think I'm watching.

 

[chocolate m'scovy]

Your gobblers sound just like mine! I wouldn't worry about your turkey girl not "knowing how," as animals don't really "learn"; it's just a natural instinct.

Throw her some corn! or bugs if you can find some!

 

[KOTurkeyRanch]

Quote:
Its so fun to yelp at them and they gobble within at most 5 yelps hahah. White/Blue faces, they know what time it is. haha

 

[pdpatch]

-She never mated before, will she know how?
Yes, of the 6 hens we have now that all know how, although it could take some tries before they get is right.

-What are chances of her being infertile?
It's possible but unlikely.

-Will she eventually stop being so skittish? It seems i cant walk 5 feet away without her running and alarm putting.
That's hard to say, you usually have to work with then from when they are chicks.

-Does humidity affect laying? Right now, its currently has a 98% humidity outside according to GOOGLE
As far a laying I don't think so.

-How long should it take her to adapt to her surroundings?(When will she think it is safe to lay)
It can take a day to a month, but usually closer to a day.

-Anyone in PA's hens laying yet?
Can't answer that one. but she should be shortly.

Also this is off-topic but i would like to know, what natural occurance makes a hen start to lay?

They start laying after a certain age, about 8 or 9 months and when the temperature is above a certain temperature, and the length of a day.

Tom

 

[poultryfan73]

Quote:
Ya same here! I have 1 blue slate gobbler and 1 blue slate jake. They have been strutting ever since i got them but lately they have been doing it more and more! Mine arent laying yet but i hope they do soon!

 

[KOTurkeyRanch]

Quote:
Ya same here! I have 1 blue slate gobbler and 1 blue slate jake. They have been strutting ever since i got them but lately they have been doing it more and more! Mine arent laying yet but i hope they do soon!

Mine isnt laying either=[

 

[turkey guru]

you guys kill me, your tom will breed when he is ready, and he won't ask or bring flowers! and you might not see them breed! never had a tom ask the hens if they are ready he just breeds her as it should be! she will not warm up to you its her personality, makes it hard to handle her, oh well!! and about laying its early yet!!!!!!!!!! 49 laying turkey hens, 3 white hens are laying a little 2 eggs a week thats slow, should be 3/4 eggs a week How do I know???? 3,400 eggs last year sold over 1,110 poults and dozens of turkey eggs 10 years of hatching poults and selling them, if something is bugging her or if she can't settle down, she will not lay (give her a dark place to hide in ) tom!!!!!!!! the turkey guru!!!!!!!

 

[KOTurkeyRanch]

Quote:
She is already warming up to me, you come on very "naive"

 

[Frosty]

KOTurkeyRanch, I was just taking a trip down memory lane today thinking about your skittish turkey... Back in 2005 I had a RP hen decide to sit on a nest in some weeds. Since she was determined to stay there, I rigged a shelter over her to protect her from sun and rain. She hatched out her eggs, and I locked them all up until the poults were feathered. After letting them back out, a wild hen came in with her own babies (they were a bit older than mine) and before long they were hanging together as one flock. Within a month, not only could I walk to about 10 feet from them, but they also started following me into the barn when I was getting feed for my birds and chattering at me to hurry up. Then they helped themselves to the feed. I think if I would have locked them up, I could have tamed them down even more. That year in October we had 90F one day and a week later we had 2 feet of snow. Then an owl started picking the wild turkeys out of the trees. The next year there was a wild tom hanging around that let me get pretty close, I think he was one of the babies.

If a wild hen with poults can get that tame, I think your girl will do fine with a bit of food and patience.