New turkey mom looking to see if anyone raising turkey will be able to help me with a ?... ????

[Carmila]

Sorry in advance for the long post.

Ok guys so I have a 9month old female hen (turkey) that has been fertilized by my tom. She laid her 1st eggs Dec 29 since laying she started out laying 1 egg a day x14 then the laying stopped for a few days, everything was going good and so we THOUGHT she was getting ready to incubate them but then she started to break a few when going in & out the nest. A few days of watching her she was breaking them ATLEAST 2 a day. So I did some research & it says that "if a Predator Gets to a Hen's Nest and destroys the eggs the hen will then again lay until her clutches is full again,". So she can lay another clutch if her eggs get destroyed she will just replace them, wellllll that's what she has been doin.... shes been laying breaking them laying ect.... We are now with 9 eggs today, yesterday was 12.... NOW Not only is she breaking them she is EATING the broken eggs!? I dont know if this is normal for them to do!? sooo PLEASE someone help me understand WHY my turkey is doing this for 1 month now when I read it will only take them 2 weeks to lay there clutch then they will incubate them. it's been a MONTH... I just want some baby turkeys well she ever lay to incubate them?

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I have Heritage breed turkeys but they are clumsy and break the eggs. So I incubate them in the incubator. Some large fowl Cochins could incubate them too when they go broody.

 

[SA Farm]

Not all hens make good broodies. If she’s breaking them, it’s probably best to collect and incubate them yourself. I would even doubt she’s serious enough about brooding based on her behaviour and would be concerned about her getting into the habit of eating the eggs like chickens do. (I’ve never had a turkey become an egg eater the way chickens do, but I imagine it’s possible.)
When my turkeys go broody, they would sit on air (like they say Silkies do) and I wouldn’t trust them with eggs if they weren’t that dedicated

 

[Carmila]

I have Heritage breed turkeys but they are clumsy and break the eggs. So I incubate them in the incubator. Some large fowl Cochins could incubate them too when they go broody.

Thank u so much. So when u take the eggs away does ur hen lay more? I'm worried when I take them she is just going to lay another clutch after clutch. I heard they only lay about 100 eggs there life time shes ALREADY laid about 30 so I hope when I take them she will stop laying till next yr.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

They can and will lay eggs all their lives. Just make sure they have access to oyster shell and high protein feed.

 

[Carmila]

Not all hens make good broodies. If she’s breaking them, it’s probably best to collect and incubate them yourself. I would even doubt she’s serious enough about brooding based on her behaviour and would be concerned about her getting into the habit of eating the eggs like chickens do. (I’ve never had a turkey become an egg eater the way chickens do, but I imagine it’s possible.)
When my turkeys go broody, they would sit on air (like they say Silkies do) and I wouldn’t trust them with eggs if they weren’t that dedicated

Thank u so much for the advice. Yes I think she has got to the point where she IS getting in the habit of eating them more the she cares to take care of them I think shes just a young mom that doesn't know what to do. It's been day 3 of her sitting on them and HASNT MOVED NOT EVEN TO EAT I literally had to put a bowl of food in front of her in water too cuz now she won't come up off of them at all. I'm TRYING to just let nature take its course that's how I like to raise all my animals let them do their thing I don't like to intercept so fingers crossed she is now incubating them if not then I will take over but so far they three were looking good.

 

[Carmila]

They can and will lay eggs all their lives. Just make sure they have access to oyster shell and high protein feed.

Thank u for the advice I do give them egg shells n oyster shells as part of there diet. I learn that off the internet lol