Turkeys...

[boyss7]

Hello! What is the percentage of procreation in turkeys, are they easy or difficult? When is the time? (spring..?etc). At what age they start reproducing? What age you have them for supper? What is the ratio? (1 tom to how many females?). Do they eat everything? What they eat in the wild? Thank you very much.

 

[feedman77]

If you have a verile tom with willing hens you have almost a 100 percent chance eggs will be fertile.

Turkeys are a little more difficult than chickens. For about the first 8 weeks. If they can find a way to die they will. After that relatively easy.

They mate in the spring. Mine usually lay March to august unless I let them go broody and raise babies.

Most will begin laying the spring after the year they were hatched. 9 to 10 months old.

You can butcher them whenever you want to. But if you have heritages to get full body size 14 to 16 months.

I try to keep 1 tom to 5 hens. Prevents over mating the hens.

During mating season I keep my hens and toms in pens because if I let the hens have free range nests they become predator food.
Mine eat 20 percent flock raiser in the pens.

When ranging bugs, grass, weed seeds, mulberries, tomatoes, and any garden leftovers.

Considering you asked about mating you are getting or have a heritage variety.

Bbb or bbw usually found at farm stores are butcher turkeys. Don't reproduce well without Ai. They are ready to process at 12 to 14 weeks.

 

[boyss7]