Turkeys that Curtsey

[Speilb]

I was wondering if someone can help me as I am new to Turkeys. I have 4 turkeys I have raised from poults (3 Narragansett and 1 Royal Palm). 2 have small beards. They are about 8 months old and I haven't seen them displaying and when I come into the yard they all get low to the ground and often spread their wings out. I figure I probably have 4 hens that are desperate for a partner. Is this a safe assumption? Also if I find some eggs is it worth putting them in the incubator? I know that Turkeys are known for not needing males but I haven't seen anything by way about percentages of viable eggs from hens only.

 

[feedman77]

Them laying on the ground spreading wings is a sign of them wanting to mate.

Their eggs being fertile without a male would be an extreme rarity. So when they start to lay eat them don't incubate them.

I have or had several hens that have beards.

 

[R2elk]

I was wondering if someone can help me as I am new to Turkeys. I have 4 turkeys I have raised from poults (3 Narragansett and 1 Royal Palm). 2 have small beards. They are about 8 months old and I haven't seen them displaying and when I come into the yard they all get low to the ground and often spread their wings out. I figure I probably have 4 hens that are desperate for a partner. Is this a safe assumption? Also if I find some eggs is it worth putting them in the incubator? I know that Turkeys are known for not needing males but I haven't seen anything by way about percentages of viable eggs from hens only.

It most likely will not be worth trying to incubate eggs that have not been fertilized. The study that was done was using Beltsville Small White hens that had been selectively bred to enhance the parthenogenesis trait. Even under those conditions they got only around a 3% hatch rate.