Stressed turkey anxious about eggs - where do they lay their eggs?

[LucyGoosey1]

Hello,

We have a 1-year old jenny and are new to turkeys. The two times I've seen her lay eggs (out of the many so far), just beforehand she has seemed very anxious, looking all around. I do not know why she is so anxious or what she is looking for (the eggs she already laid, which we took, or nesting materials?). Right now there is an area enclosed on 3 sides with a dirt floor where she has been laying.

But is she looking for nesting materials that we should provide? Or do they make a nest in trees in the wild? What can we do to reduce the bird"s anxiety level?

Thanks for the information.

 

[-Wirth-]

Wild turkeys roost in trees, but nest on the ground. Their nest is little more than a shallow hole in the dirt where the hen deposits her eggs over about a 2 week period before she sits on them for the next few weeks.

Does she always lay in the same spot? Do you know what kind of turkey she is? Maybe she feels vulnerable when she is laying and wants to make sure everything is safe when she does.

 

[R2elk]

Hello,

We have a 1-year old jenny and are new to turkeys. The two times I've seen her lay eggs (out of the many so far), just beforehand she has seemed very anxious, looking all around. I do not know why she is so anxious or what she is looking for (the eggs she already laid, which we took, or nesting materials?). Right now there is an area enclosed on 3 sides with a dirt floor where she has been laying.

But is she looking for nesting materials that we should provide? Or do they make a nest in trees in the wild? What can we do to reduce the bird"s anxiety level?

Thanks for the information.

If you are taking her eggs, be sure to leave a fake egg or more to keep her laying in the same spot. She is very likely trying to find a more hidden spot to nest in so that she can do a better job of hiding her eggs from you. She can also use companionship of the turkey variety. Turkeys should not be kept alone. They are a flock bird.