Some questions about raising Bourbon Reds

[Blue Legs]

I recently acquired 3 jennys and a tom, they hatched last year and are getting adjusted to their new home. They free range most of the day but have a covered run at night. I have clipped the wings on the girls to keep them from becoming too adventurous, and just yesterday I found the first egg hidden near the run they live in at night. I intend to hatch about a 12-24 eggs from these girls and was hoping someone with some experience might be able to answer a few questions.

1. How many eggs per week on average will each bird produce?
2. How many months will they be laying eggs for?
3. Is there a specific time frame that the eggs are better? Like, are the earlier eggs better? The later ones? All the same?

I am going to be using an incubator to hatch the eggs, I also may let them try their luck with some, unless there is a reason not to?

Thanks in advance for any hep, I've not been able to find any clear answers so far.

 

[R2elk]

1. How many eggs per week on average will each bird produce?
2. How many months will they be laying eggs for?
3. Is there a specific time frame that the eggs are better? Like, are the earlier eggs better? The later ones? All the same?

Individual hens may lay different amounts of eggs. Some will lay every other day. Some will lay 3 days in a row and skip a day. Some will lay 2 days in a row and skip a day.

If nothing stops them from laying, they can lay from spring to fall. If a hen is allowed to go broody, hatch and raise her poults, she may be done laying until the next year.

Eggs that are laid when the temperatures are frigid can freeze and not develop. I collect the eggs for the first couple weeks and incubate them. After that I let the hens go broody and hatch their own eggs.

 

[Blue Legs]

Excellent. Exactly the information I needed to decide how I was going to proceed. Thank you sir

 

[Blue Legs]

SO. The turkeys are well adjusted to their new homes, but a few of their behaviors have me wondering...

One of the jennys is particular vocal and a bit aggressive as well. She seems to have a personal problem with one of my bresse roosters and spends several hours a day chasing him around the yard. She isn't able to catch him, and he doesn't fight her, so to me it's mostly entertainment. She also seems to be exhibiting non-typical behavior like... well, strutting like the Tom does and flaring out her tail feathers. She is also an order of magnitude more vocal than all the others put together, lots of yelping and purring particularly in the morning. None of these things bother me, but is there cause for concern? I may harvest one of the jennys after egg production has been satisfied and I'm leaning towards her when the time comes.

They also seem to have little regard for rain, or sleeping where I'd like them to. I have covered areas for them, and lower to the ground roosts, but they just sleep out in the open in the rain within their enclosure. They seem happy, but they also look like drowned rats in the morning after a heavy rain. Should I be more insistent that they use proper shelter? Or allow them to live as they see fit?

 

[R2elk]

SO. The turkeys are well adjusted to their new homes, but a few of their behaviors have me wondering...

One of the jennys is particular vocal and a bit aggressive as well. She seems to have a personal problem with one of my bresse roosters and spends several hours a day chasing him around the yard. She isn't able to catch him, and he doesn't fight her, so to me it's mostly entertainment. She also seems to be exhibiting non-typical behavior like... well, strutting like the Tom does and flaring out her tail feathers. She is also an order of magnitude more vocal than all the others put together, lots of yelping and purring particularly in the morning. None of these things bother me, but is there cause for concern? I may harvest one of the jennys after egg production has been satisfied and I'm leaning towards her when the time comes.

They also seem to have little regard for rain, or sleeping where I'd like them to. I have covered areas for them, and lower to the ground roosts, but they just sleep out in the open in the rain within their enclosure. They seem happy, but they also look like drowned rats in the morning after a heavy rain. Should I be more insistent that they use proper shelter? Or allow them to live as they see fit?

It's all pretty much normal turkey behavior. If you pay close attention to that particular hen you will probably learn that she is the low dog on the totem pole of the turkey pecking order.

My turkeys roost outside in all kinds of weather. It doesn't bother mine. They will use covered areas for shade on sunny days even in sub zero weather.

 

[Blue Legs]

They do seem to be happy other than looking soaked, thank you for confirming. Hardy birds.

 

[Blue Legs]

Everything is going very well with the new flock! They seem happy, healthy, and even put themselves to bed in the evening. I am finding the occasional oddball egg here and there in random places, which I collect, but I am planning on doing a hatch in about 2 weeks. They are currently eating Layena pellets with access to 30% game bird food. I was wondering-

1- What is the best way to ensure I can collect the needed eggs during the next few weeks? They currently go into what used to be my pheasant pen, aprox 3-4 hundred sqft at night but free range -and randomly lay eggs- over an acre during the daytime. I also have a mobile chicken tractor not currently in use that's about 120sqft. Should I just lock them into the aviary and deal with the complaining for the next few weeks?

2- Do the eggs need any special care during the pre-incubation period? With my chicken eggs I set them in my incubator which has an egg rocker until I have collected all the eggs I need with the rocker on placed in a cool room.

3-The girls spend quite a bit of time complaining every day. Is this a common bourbon red trait? They seem to have everything they should want.

I am really enjoying these birds alot! There are alot of wild turkeys around here and my tom spent several hours yesterday having quite the argument with the locals.

 

[R2elk]

Everything is going very well with the new flock! They seem happy, healthy, and even put themselves to bed in the evening. I am finding the occasional oddball egg here and there in random places, which I collect, but I am planning on doing a hatch in about 2 weeks. They are currently eating Layena pellets with access to 30% game bird food. I was wondering-

1- What is the best way to ensure I can collect the needed eggs during the next few weeks? They currently go into what used to be my pheasant pen, aprox 3-4 hundred sqft at night but free range -and randomly lay eggs- over an acre during the daytime. I also have a mobile chicken tractor not currently in use that's about 120sqft. Should I just lock them into the aviary and deal with the complaining for the next few weeks?

2- Do the eggs need any special care during the pre-incubation period? With my chicken eggs I set them in my incubator which has an egg rocker until I have collected all the eggs I need with the rocker on placed in a cool room.

3-The girls spend quite a bit of time complaining every day. Is this a common bourbon red trait? They seem to have everything they should want.

I am really enjoying these birds alot! There are alot of wild turkeys around here and my tom spent several hours yesterday having quite the argument with the locals.

Adult turkeys do not need a 30% protein feed. Poults do but not the adults.

The safest way to handle your turkey hens is to keep them penned during laying season. It makes it easier to find the nests and prevents a predator from taking a hen from her hidden nest.

Your current method for storing incubation eggs will be fine.

The complaining is a common turkey trait regardless of variety.

 

[Blue Legs]

Well, I have managed to steal 8 eggs from the turkeys over the last week, hoping to have a dozen by Monday when I intend to set them. I have been manually rotating them 3-4 times a day, stored in a room with the window open and it stays cool. I am concerned about the... I guess 'breeding activity' or lack thereof. I rarely see my tom mounting the jennys, whereas I frequently see my roosters breed my hens. Do they breed less often or more privately? Or is my Tom not doing his job properly? I'm concerned about setting non viable eggs. I am still allowing them to free range since I have been able to find their eggs reliably; one of the jennys doesn't seem to be laying yet, one plops eggs down randomly in the yard, and one has a 'hidden' nest I raid every day. Would locking them up increase breeding activity and egg viabilty?

 

[R2elk]

Well, I have managed to steal 8 eggs from the turkeys over the last week, hoping to have a dozen by Monday when I intend to set them. I have been manually rotating them 3-4 times a day, stored in a room with the window open and it stays cool. I am concerned about the... I guess 'breeding activity' or lack thereof. I rarely see my tom mounting the jennys, whereas I frequently see my roosters breed my hens. Do they breed less often or more privately? Or is my Tom not doing his job properly? I'm concerned about setting non viable eggs. I am still allowing them to free range since I have been able to find their eggs reliably; one of the jennys doesn't seem to be laying yet, one plops eggs down randomly in the yard, and one has a 'hidden' nest I raid every day. Would locking them up increase breeding activity and egg viabilty?

Turkeys can have different approaches to their breeding. Most that goes on here happens in the early morning. I rarely see them breeding but do see tell tale evidence such as a hen with her back feathers mussed or a scuffed area on the ground with a few scattered feathers.

Unlike with chickens it is consensual act as it does require the cooperation of the hen. If she isn't in the mood, it isn't going to happen.

I had one hen a couple of years ago that laid her egg in nearly the same place every day. There was no nest. I caught her in the act one day. She was moving along at a pretty good clip when she would pause very briefly just long enough to drop the egg. Eventually she figured it out and made a nest.

Just because you don't see them breeding does not mean they are not breeding.