New to raising Kentucky Bourbon Reds

[cheesychicken]

I live in the southeast part of Michigan in Monroe County

I purchased some Kentucky Bourbon Red Turkeys last spring (2014). I have 3 hens and a tom that I will be using for breeding.

When should I allow them to access their nest boxes to start laying and when should I expect them to start laying?

About how many eggs a week will these hens lay a week and about how many for the season? When does the season usually end?

The plan is to collect the eggs to hatch in a incubator.


Thanks

 

[JonathanL23]

From what i read in a book im currently reading Mating season is April-June when the weather starts to get nice and they get lots of sun. As for eggs im not sure each hen should lay around a dozen. If you wanted to eat turkey eggs i hear laying mash helps. make sure you read on how to incubate you have to turn the eggs every 8 hours for 25 days and then let they be for the final 3. the humidity has to be 50% i think.

 

[MontgomeryTX]

All of my bourbons started laying in April the year after they were hatched. We get about 4 a week from each hen. We incubate all the eggs. The ones that we have let the turkeys hatch dont seem to survive long.