Turkey Talk for 2014

[WalnutHill]

I've already set 95 turkey eggs this year and currently have 86 viable with the first hatch due on my birthday. Turkey math exceeds chicken math by a long shot!

 

[desertmarcy]

I built several turkey nest boxes out of pallets and scrap wood and stuff I had lying around here this spring. My turkeys really like them! Here's the first one I built:




This is the second one. I put wire around the top so they can't sit up there and make a mess:


I still had more scrap, so I made a third one:

 

[desertmarcy]

I've already set 95 turkey eggs this year and currently have 86 viable with the first hatch due on my birthday. Turkey math exceeds chicken math by a long shot!

I just hatched 110 poults in my first batch. Most were to fill orders to ship, the rest I'll sell locally. I'm not keeping any for myself until my 4/27 and 5/4 hatches. My turkeys are already slowing down their laying. I have a lot of turkey broodies. They will just sit on nothing. Will probably give them some extra eggs to hatch just so they will quit sitting.

 

[marchick]

I've already set 95 turkey eggs this year and currently have 86 viable with the first hatch due on my birthday. Turkey math exceeds chicken math by a long shot!

It has for me because I have only hatch for myself in the past.What I was wanting to do is maybe sell a few turkey chicks to help buy feed. Any Idea how many turkey eggs a turkey will lay if you keep taking the eggs?

 

[chickadoodles]

desertmarcy I really like your turkey nest boxes. I on the other hand used some old tires and filled them with straw and the girls like them.

 

[SilkieSensation]

 
I've already set 95 turkey eggs this year and currently have 86 viable with the first hatch due on my birthday.  Turkey math exceeds chicken math by a long shot!

It has for me because I have only hatch for myself in the past.What I was wanting to do is maybe sell a few turkey chicks to help buy feed. Any Idea how many turkey eggs a turkey will lay if you keep taking the eggs?

Last year my girls laid from March to October. The year before they laid April to August. This year they started in March. I take all eggs every day, but a few hens still tried to collect chicken eggs to brood & I had to keep chasing them off the nests. So a couple quit laying intermittently trying to brood but started back up in a week or so when they realized I wasn't letting them keep eggs.

 

[WalnutHill]

I built several turkey nest boxes out of pallets and scrap wood and stuff I had lying around here this spring. My turkeys really like them! Here's the first one I built:




This is the second one. I put wire around the top so they can't sit up there and make a mess:


I still had more scrap, so I made a third one:

Very nice nest boxes! So your hens prefer community nesting?

 

[dheltzel]

Last year my girls laid from March to October. The year before they laid April to August. This year they started in March. I take all eggs every day, but a few hens still tried to collect chicken eggs to brood & I had to keep chasing them off the nests. So a couple quit laying intermittently trying to brood but started back up in a week or so when they realized I wasn't letting them keep eggs.

Do some varieties lay more or longer than others, or does it just depend on the hen? Our 2 Midget White hens have been laying since the beginning of January. So far I set 84 of their eggs and some were too frozen to set, so they actually laid more, probably over 100. One hen definitely lays more than the other one, at least 2 or 3 for every one from the other one. I think her eggs hatch better too.
The 2 black mottled hens started toward the end of Jan and laid a lot less, I believe only one of them has laid at all. They are pretty and friendly, but not pulling their weight in the egg department, LOL.

 

[duluthralphie]

Very nice nest boxes! So your hens prefer community nesting?

That was my thought too,

My hens try to get as secluded as possible when they lay eggs. It sure would be nice if they crawled up into a nest box instead of a box on the ground and then burying the eggs in the leaves and nest material.

 

[marchick]

Last year my girls laid from March to October. The year before they laid April to August. This year they started in March. I take all eggs every day, but a few hens still tried to collect chicken eggs to brood & I had to keep chasing them off the nests. So a couple quit laying intermittently trying to brood but started back up in a week or so when they realized I wasn't letting them keep eggs.

I think Two batches might be all I can handle.What would I do if I couldn't sell them or worse yet couldn't give them away.Its hard here.I have a hard time selling chicken eggs at 2.00 a dozen. I have very nice eggs and feed non-GMO feed. They all want them when I give them away but wont pay 2.00 for them. I cant figure that one out.