I haven't kept turkeys since I was a boy and we didn't hatch our own back then so some of this is new to me. I'm hoping some of you more experienced folks will answer some basic questions for me.
I have a small flock of nine White Midgets that I bought from Sandhill last year. Yesterday the four toms got into earnest combat so I took that as a sign they were finally getting 'in the mood.' I separated out three of the four leaving the one I want to start with in with the five hens.
A young tom should be able to adequately service five hens shouldn't he? Providing he's fertile, but that's why I'm keeping backups. I see much larger flocks of wild turkeys but there's often more than one tom in the mix so I'm not sure what the maximum number of hens a cock bird can handle is.
Also, how long should I wait after they start laying before I try to hatch eggs? I'm sure they'll have to size up first just like chickens do, but I'm not sure how long that will take.
When I built their tractor I used the same design as I use for my chicken tractors, but made the nest box about half-again larger to give them space to move around in. I was told not to make the opening too large though so as to discourage the tom from trying to get into the nest with the hen. The opening to the nest box is about twenty or so inches off the ground. I have never seen any of them get in it yet, but that may be because they haven't starting laying. Should I provide a ramp into the box or just let them hop in the way the chickens do?
Thanks much for your answers.
.....Alan.
I have a small flock of nine White Midgets that I bought from Sandhill last year. Yesterday the four toms got into earnest combat so I took that as a sign they were finally getting 'in the mood.' I separated out three of the four leaving the one I want to start with in with the five hens.
A young tom should be able to adequately service five hens shouldn't he? Providing he's fertile, but that's why I'm keeping backups. I see much larger flocks of wild turkeys but there's often more than one tom in the mix so I'm not sure what the maximum number of hens a cock bird can handle is.
Also, how long should I wait after they start laying before I try to hatch eggs? I'm sure they'll have to size up first just like chickens do, but I'm not sure how long that will take.
When I built their tractor I used the same design as I use for my chicken tractors, but made the nest box about half-again larger to give them space to move around in. I was told not to make the opening too large though so as to discourage the tom from trying to get into the nest with the hen. The opening to the nest box is about twenty or so inches off the ground. I have never seen any of them get in it yet, but that may be because they haven't starting laying. Should I provide a ramp into the box or just let them hop in the way the chickens do?
Thanks much for your answers.
.....Alan.
