Royal Palm laying eggs 3 weeks after hatching a clutch of eggs.

[ChickenChaser43]

Did not expect it to happen because I assumed their was a hormonal change that the hen goes through when brooding and raising poults and wouldn't lay again until next spring. She is separated and in her own enclosure away from the tom's but they are on the opposite side of the fence. She even gets into a breeding position by the fence. She is caring for 8 poults.

On a sad side note, a predator, I believe a fox, got two of my hens that were nesting outside their enclosures. They were disappearing randomly during the day and I assumed they were nesting. I didn't want to interfere with the natural instinct to nest in a secluded spot of their choice. One had picked a pile of branches against a tree and the other chose a patch of high grass. Both spots were only 20 yards from their enclosures. The "fox" got them about 2 weeks apart. Royal Palm hen all I found was a feather trail through the overgrown pasture beside where she was nesting. The Bourbon Red had a 60 yard feather trail and a partially eaten carcass. Head missing and breast eaten. Not sure if something scared the fox away or it had it's fill. So fox is now on my most wanted list.

 

[R2elk]

Each turkey can react differently in this situation. I had a Royal palm hen that started laying a week after her poults hatched. I currently have a Blue Slate hen who has just started laying again after 4 weeks and has a clutch of 15 adopted poults with her. I have had many turkeys that did as you expected and were done laying for the year after their hatch and raising poults.

Your predator problem is why I don't allow any of my hens to nest in an unprotected area. Fortunately for me, I have not seen any fox around here since the coyotes moved in and the coyotes have not as yet come inside my perimeter fence.

Good luck.