Turkey doesn't sit down to lay?

[guitari609]

I have a trio of Narragansett Turkeys, great birds. The hens recently started laying, which I knew they should because I have seen the Tom breeding them. I walked down just a minute ago to check on them, and right when I walked up, I heard a loud pop in the nest box, and looked in and the hen was standing up...and just laid an egg.....I have had several in that box so far, and they are always cracked on the very point...which that's my first question, if the outside shell is cracked, I assume its a bad idea to try and incubate it? The inner lining still seems to be intact. This egg was cracked as well. I am going to put a piece of carpet in it to prevent this from happening, but is that normal? Do turkeys not sit down like chickens, geese, ducks, etc to lay?

Just curious.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

as long as the membrain is fine, they can still hatch.
Many turkeys lay standing up, if on dirt there no problem, but you've got to line that box!! Carpet helps, but I'd pack it full of hay or something too. Even laid sitting down, they can crack them on a box just from kicking and stepping on them. Get some bedding in there and you should be fine

 

[guitari609]

Good to know. I've already got bedding in there, but just like my chickens, they sort of swirl it around into a nest shape, and scrape the bottom of the box down to the wood. I put two layers of super thick carpet, that should take care of it.