Turkey Talk for 2014

[DraigAthar]

Oh my! I think Turkish may finally have convinced Taffy that it's a good time to raise a family, haha. She's been laying nearly every day for a month now, but we've been cracking her eggs to check for the little bulls eye, and so far they've all been infertile. Except for the one she laid yesterday - I just cracked it for breakfast this morning and the little bulls eye is there! I think she may finally be fertile! She's also been spending longer and longer on the nest every time she lays, argh. I've been taking the eggs every day and even kicking her off the nest after she's done laying for the day, but I'm scared she's going to lay like two more eggs and then go broody, haha. I'll see if I can keep her laying for a while.

 

[chicken pickin]

Oh my! I think Turkish may finally have convinced Taffy that it's a good time to raise a family, haha. She's been laying nearly every day for a month now, but we've been cracking her eggs to check for the little bulls eye, and so far they've all been infertile. Except for the one she laid yesterday - I just cracked it for breakfast this morning and the little bulls eye is there! I think she may finally be fertile! She's also been spending longer and longer on the nest every time she lays, argh. I've been taking the eggs every day and even kicking her off the nest after she's done laying for the day, but I'm scared she's going to lay like two more eggs and then go broody, haha. I'll see if I can keep her laying for a while.

From my experience and also from what I have read, turkeys don't seem to go fully broody until their clutch is large enough, each turkey is different but it seems 12-20 eggs is a normal range with 14-16 being average. Someone can correct me if I am wrong.

If you keep taking the eggs everyday she shouldnt go broody, even if she wants too.

 

[DraigAthar]

From my experience and also from what I have read, turkeys don't seem to go fully broody until their clutch is large enough, each turkey is different but it seems 12-20 eggs is a normal range with 14-16 being average. Someone can correct me if I am wrong.

If you keep taking the eggs everyday she shouldnt go broody, even if she wants too.

So you think it's normal that she's spending a few hours in there each day, just to lay an egg? When she started, she'd sit for no more than an hour to lay an egg, and then get back to wandering around again. But now she's in there 3-4 hours a day just to lay an egg.

And actually you reminded me of another question I had - how many eggs can a turkey hen comfortably cover, if I do let her go broody (hopefully later on)? Could she actually cover and hatch 20 eggs? Or is that 14-16 range a more reasonable expectation?

 

[Lybe8438]

I got my first hatchery order of the season in on Monday! I ordered 25 CX from McMurray's and an Andalusian, and polish pullet chicks. As luck would have it all of the meat birds survived and the Andalusian and Polish both died. The freebie Cochin also survived. They were really good and credited my account for the dead chicks and I'll reorder when te weather isn't so cold. But in the mean time I have the meat birds to occupy me and the ducklings and goslings should be hatching any day now!







Then there's Ellie....I have been wondering about her lately....She is a hair over 6 months old and she has been looking a bit boyish lately. She has even started growing a beard. I think it's a bit strange for a 6 month old hen to start growing a beard. What do you guys think?

 

[chicken pickin]

So you think it's normal that she's spending a few hours in there each day, just to lay an egg? When she started, she'd sit for no more than an hour to lay an egg, and then get back to wandering around again. But now she's in there 3-4 hours a day just to lay an egg.

And actually you reminded me of another question I had - how many eggs can a turkey hen comfortably cover, if I do let her go broody (hopefully later on)? Could she actually cover and hatch 20 eggs? Or is that 14-16 range a more reasonable expectation?

I think 14-16 is more reasonable. Usually if there is a larger clutch 2 hens will share the brooding responsibility.

And her sitting for a long time could be normal, I know I have chickens that will occasionally stay on the nest for a long time. But I cant say for sure.

 

[chicken pickin]

I got my first hatchery order of the season in on Monday! I ordered 25 CX from McMurray's and an Andalusian, and polish pullet chicks. As luck would have it all of the meat birds survived and the Andalusian and Polish both died. The freebie Cochin also survived. They were really good and credited my account for the dead chicks and I'll reorder when te weather isn't so cold. But in the mean time I have the meat birds to occupy me and the ducklings and goslings should be hatching any day now!







Then there's Ellie....I have been wondering about her lately....She is a hair over 6 months old and she has been looking a bit boyish lately. She has even started growing a beard. I think it's a bit strange for a 6 month old hen to start growing a beard. What do you guys think?

I love love love your Cochin chick

sorry about the other 2 chicks you lost.

And your turkeys still looks like a hen ish to me. Hens can grow beards also, though Im not sure what a typical age would be for that. I suppose it could be a very slow maturing tom but I would expect the snood to be much bigger and longer by now.

Actually come to think of it re looking at your pics your turkey seems to be lacking the hen like Mohawk, does she have much of a strip up the back of her head? I know my hens heads are covered by a large mohawk

 

[Sydney Acres]

I got my first hatchery order of the season in on Monday! I ordered 25 CX from McMurray's and an Andalusian, and polish pullet chicks. As luck would have it all of the meat birds survived and the Andalusian and Polish both died. The freebie Cochin also survived. They were really good and credited my account for the dead chicks and I'll reorder when te weather isn't so cold. But in the mean time I have the meat birds to occupy me and the ducklings and goslings should be hatching any day now!







Then there's Ellie....I have been wondering about her lately....She is a hair over 6 months old and she has been looking a bit boyish lately. She has even started growing a beard. I think it's a bit strange for a 6 month old hen to start growing a beard. What do you guys think?

Seriously Cute!

Isn't Ellie a wild turkey? I've seen pictures of wild hens (Eastern I think, but they're likely all similar) with beards in most of the flock. They just don't get as long as the boys.

My 7-8 month old hens' heads have been changing subtly in the last several weeks. The skin is just a tad thicker, and the caruncles are a bit more prominent, so they look a little less feminine to me. I think it's just their hormones. I've not noticed any beards yet, although one of the Spanish Blacks has a firmish area of skin in the right place, so a beard may start to grow there. But I think wild hens are more likely to grow beards than the domestic breeds, from the pictures I've seen. The SOP allows for beards in all breeds of turkey hens, but does not require them.

 

[racinchickins]

Then there's Ellie....I have been wondering about her lately....She is a hair over 6 months old and she has been looking a bit boyish lately. She has even started growing a beard. I think it's a bit strange for a 6 month old hen to start growing a beard. What do you guys think?

Still looks like a girl to me. I wouldn't worry about the beard. She still has no snood to amount to anything as well as the mohawk of feathers. Those are a better indicators.

 

[chicken pickin]

Some of my hens heads to show mohawk

 

[Lybe8438]

A minor detail I forgot to mention was that when I introduced her to the chicken pen she got in a fight with one of the hens and her snood was dangling by a thread and ended up shriveling up and falling off a couple of days later.