think she'll resume laying? (update post #10: now laying AGAIN!)

[patandchickens]

I have this woefully-late-maturing pair of heritage bronzes I got at an auction last fall, they are now 1 yr old.

The hen did not start laying til early May. Around June 1, she went broody. Sat on 4 eggs like a *champ*, but because I was a moron and did not separate her from the tom, they got crushed -- the last one was ruined on Jun 20, I took its remains away from her and she stopped being broody.

That was a week ago; she has not laid since; and I am wondering whether she is LIKELY to lay any more this year, especially after having been setting for 3 wks which I'm sure is hard on the body? But then I really don't know how long turkeys usually lay for.

The reason I'm asking is b/c I am trying to plan incubator and pen use for the rest of the summer.

Thanks for any input,

Pat

 

[texascowboy1979]

As with wild animals.. you never know..

My guess.. threw what my turkeys have shown me... thats it until next year... I dont know if turkeys breed in the fall.. Ill have to look into that.. This is my 1st full year with turkeys... every day is a learning experience.

 

[Tunastopper]

Some of my broody hens went back to laying. They will lay as long as it does not get to hot. Mine also lay in the fall.

 

[texascowboy1979]

Quote:
That explains why they stopped.. Im in a Heat Index of 110 right now.. Yes.. its hot.

 

[KOTurkeyRanch]

My hens raising 3, 5 week olds and she has laid 6 eggs in 6 days

 

[Jmiller429]

I dont know if you can keep domestics laying throughout the fall, but Wild birds will very rarely if even lay eggs past early june

 

[patandchickens]

In case anyone is interested, the answer to the original question was Yes. She resumed laying in mid-July, I have 6 of her eggs on day 6 in the incubator at present, and she is on approximately day 4-5 of a new bout of broodiness on four eggs.

Her stompy tom "husband" is SO going into the freezer as soon as I know she is really firmly broody and that the incubator eggs are 'going' ok, but her OWN future here is definitely assured

Pat

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Our Bourbon Reds and Royal Palms are still laying good the others have pretty much quit. We quit setting eggs though a while back.

Steve

 

[poultryfan73]

Quote:
X2

 

[patandchickens]

Good grief, she's at it again! After an ultimately-failed-but-not-her-fault broody spell in June, she resumed laying and went broody again a couple weeks later. Because she did not stop laying for a while when she started setting, she ended up with a *really* staggered hatch (8 day spread) so I left her the first-hatched poult to raise, and put the other eggs into the hatcher in the basement.

So, she's been mommying her poult since mid-August (and I just sold the ones out of the hatcher)... and yesterday she laid another egg!

She has *definitely* earned herself a permanent place here. (The poults' sire, otoh, was a stompy ol' pain in the butt and has been in the freezer since she started setting again back in July)


Pat