Turkey breeding

[ColbyNTX]

Quote:
Then it sounds like you would have no problems hatching some. But like I said, turkeys don't lay naturally this time of year. The lights for your heat source are tricking them.

 

[MamaHutch06]

I am not sure what else I could use for heat source, any ideas?

 

[ColbyNTX]

It's not a problem for them to lay from artifical light, just make sure they have atleast a 20% protien layer feed. It could make them not have as productive of a spring. Why do you have adult turkeys on a heat source? Do you live at the north pole? Adult turkeys will live just fine outside in North Dakota and Alaskan winters with a good wind break.

 

[MamaHutch06]

Those are my husbands babies and he is in control of everything that goes on with them. He wants them to be warm I guess lol What temp would you recommend a heat source used? We try to keep it atleast 32 in there. Is that too much?

 

[MamaHutch06]

They are 7 months old, i don't think she knows what she is doing yet lol

 

[ColbyNTX]

Thats great if you want to keep them heated all winter. It won't hurt them one bit to keep them heated. Above 32 keeps their water from freezing.

 

[ivan3]

MamaHutch06 wrote: I keep waiting for her to set and stay but everytime I think she has set she pops back up outside. For instance yesterday she was on the eggs all day, today she was on them all this morning and then she came out and didnt reset for hours. Also I numbered the eggs when she had 22 (because someone suggested it) then I numbered 23 and noticed #10 is missing...So now she has 1-25 numbered and 10 is missing. No Idea where it went, it is possible I miss numbered. I mean I am human but I feel pretty sure I didnt lol....God I just wish I understood what was going on. I keep telling my husband I should just forget they are there and let her do her thing but I am so interested and curious as to what is happening. It is so exciting!

How old is this girl? Still a Jenny? Hatched in the Spring? Our RP started laying at 7mo., middle of Dec. of `07. She'd fly out of run, lay, and fly back into run. We collected and ate these (8 total over 11 days). She got serious that May. As soon as the hormone levels reach a certain point the system occasionally starts producing eggs immediately (bred or not). Artificial lighting is probably exacerbating this tendency making her more serious about building the clutch.

Missing eggs? Well, they'll sometimes eat bad ones. More often, they carry bad eggs to some distance from the nest (not spoil others/attract predators). This is one of our hens caught in the act (about 60yds from nest when she dropped the egg and slunk away):

Artificial lighting can have some pretty interesting effects on seasonal layers like turkeys, not all of them exemplary: http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/agcomm/magazine/spring05/night.htm​

 

[MamaHutch06]

She is 7 months. Your Hen is gorgous! lol I love learning from you guys, thanks for all the help!

 

[MamaHutch06]

So it has been 27 hours that the broody chicken has been setting on the 2 turkey eggs. When is a good time to candle them?

 

[MamaHutch06]

Another turkey egg...are you serious, thats 26 total!