Ridiculous questions about mating turkeys *Update

[vickichicki]

So I feel like a fool for asking, but I guess I will not know unless I ask.

I have owned a pair or RP since around October of last year. They were due to be destroyed as they were left in a park and people had complained of their presence. I was given the opportunity to take them if I wanted them. Can not say I had any desire to own turkeys, but now they are here, wow.. Magnificent.

My Tom has been doing the 'dance' with her for over a month now and she is not showing many signs of being receptive. Is it possible for me to have a pair that are just not going to ever mate? or will mother nature take over and she will give in as there is no other 'offer' out there?

The weather has been colder than normal for this time of year and I understand turkeys can be seasonal layers in certain areas. I would assume she will lay eggs regardless of fertilization, as a chicken does.

Thanks in advance for the replies

 

[daniel rainey]

yes she should lay eggs anyway (depending on her age!) and what breed are they? have you got any pictures? and have they had any health problems? its a bit odd because usually in the turkey world its the other way around where she is trying and it takes him a wile to realise. i asked the breed because some of the commercial hybreeds are broad breasted and just wont tolerate mating as there not fit for it...

 

[vickichicki]

Due to the situation of aquiring thse two, I am not certain of their ages. As for health. They seem good, no obvious phyiscal issues. They eat and drink fine. They are Royal Palm (dirty wet looking ones)

 

[KrisH]

they look great. probably won't be long til you ges tome eggs, problem can be finding where she hides them.

RobertH

 

[Celie]

So I feel like a fool for asking, but I guess I will not know unless I ask.

I have owned a pair or RP since around October of last year. They were due to be destroyed as they were left in a park and people had complained of their presence. I was given the opportunity to take them if I wanted them. Can not say I had any desire to own turkeys, but now they are here, wow.. Magnificent.

My Tom has been doing the 'dance' with her for over a month now and she is not showing many signs of being receptive. Is it possible for me to have a pair that are just not going to ever mate? or will mother nature take over and she will give in as there is no other 'offer' out there?

The weather has been colder than normal for this time of year and I understand turkeys can be seasonal layers in certain areas. I would assume she will lay eggs regardless of fertilization, as a chicken does.

Thanks in advance for the replies

Mother Nature will come into play, when the time is right!

yes she should lay eggs anyway (depending on her age!) and what breed are they? have you got any pictures? and have they had any health problems? its a bit odd because usually in the turkey world its the other way around where she is trying and it takes him a wile to realise. i asked the breed because some of the commercial hybreeds are broad breasted and just wont tolerate mating as there not fit for it...

Not true, BB hens will and can mate naturally. It is the toms that get too fat, too quick to mount and fertilize the hen, normally, but when they first reach sexual maturity, with proper nutrition and management, the first 6 or 8 eggs can be fertile, until the tom reaches that point. You can put a Large Heritage tom over the BB hen and she can mate naturally and lay fertile eggs for years!!!

they look great. probably won't be long til you ges tome eggs, problem can be finding where she hides them.

RobertH

Yes, look for these eggs ! Turkey hens will find very good hiding places, if you let them. LOL

 

[vickichicki]

Thanks guys.

As my Tom is not be so friendly with me right now I shall have to send DH to have a good look around the pen. We made a hutch that is spposed to be for nesting which is where we have been checking for eggs. Could have just over looked them in a corner, been trembled on and broken and not even noticed. Might even put a camera out there so I can see what they are up to.

 

[vickichicki]

So I guess I could have waited for this posting...



Ta da.... Laid this afternoon in the hutch. I cracked it open and it has the bullseye on it. Guess he is more charming that I thought.

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[KrisH]

So I guess I could have waited for this posting...



Ta da.... Laid this afternoon in the hutch. I cracked it open and it has the bullseye on it. Guess he is more charming that I thought.

Thanks for the help guys!

COngrats on your first turkey egg. Yes it seems they do mate when you are not around. Glad she is laying in th ehutch, unlike us who have the free range and they go off in the woods and lay and then bury them so well there is little hope in finding the nest until the hen decides to sit. Then it is hunt for a turkey hen, which they can sure blend in the environment.

 

[vickichicki]

Thank you very much...

We are all dead excited. I noticed over the past two days she has been rather noisy. Unusual for her, she is normally really quite. She has been clucking and I mentioned to DH how odd it was she was clucking, we had joked about her public announcment being ready for lay. I guess it was a sign. She was absent from the pen this morning which is a first also as they prefer the outside, even over night (hence them both looking ragged in the pictures). I will take digging through straw to find an egg vs outside rummaging.

I cracked the egg as carefully as possible so I can save the egg. How silly is that!

 

[vickichicki]

Super duper update

I have sold two batches from my girl and the last batch I sold, 5 out of the 7 hatched with success. Still waiting on an update of the first batch.

She is now sitting on 7 eggs and we await the tiny pitter patter of turkey toes.

Guess it was all a waiting game!