Turkey breeding

[ColbyNTX]

I candle all my turkey eggs at 14 days. No need to even look at them before 10 days. They don't develope as fast as chickens.

 

[MamaHutch06]

Thank you Colby!

 

[spish]

sorry can i butt in here while we're talking about turkeys and layings...i have 2 girls here...ronquieres turkeys...both sisters from the same nest born august 1st 2010, so now they are 16 months old...but neither has ever laid an egg? could it be something genetic as both of them dont lay and are sisters?

 

[MamaHutch06]

I wish I could help but I have only been raising turkeys for 7 months and I have male and female. I wonder can a turkey hen lay an egg without a tom? I know chicken hens can lay without rooseters? Good question. Can't wait to here the answers, I so love learning from this forum. These people are great!

 

[spish]

oh i have toms too...and other hens..but its just these two that dont lay...i kept them apart all this year with a tom in the hope of babies and not a single egg between them!
wondering whether to cull or sell them and aquire some new poults in that colour....or give them another chance this spring...?

 

[MamaHutch06]

I would wait til later tonight to see what the more experienced Turkey owners thoughts are. They are awesome people to learn from.

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

Wow - I'm getting 2-3 eggs a week from 4 turkey hens. And one is broody setting on two old eggs.

 

[SycolinWoodsChickens]

We have no toms and our hen has been laying eggs for about a month now.

So, no, toms are not required just like chickens and ducks laying without roos and drakes.!!!

 

[MamaHutch06]

good to know lol

Smiles-N-Sunshine do you eat the eggs, sell them etc... Just curious?

 

[KrisH]

I had read that turkey hens will lay the spring following hatch , but if yours are 16 months, that would have made them pretty young the first spring. I'm thinking wait till this spring.

This is my first year with turkeys, so take my advice for what its worth.

I don't have kids, so if you need parenting help...

RobertH