Warm weather confusing your birds???????

[crj]

Hey There! I don't know but I think my seasonal laying birds think it's spring. I believe my turkeys are starting to mate. I noticed one of the hens are being a bit aggressive to the other birds at times. I also saw my tom doing the mating dance. The colors on his face are getting quite colorful once again as well. I don't know if the hens are laying or not. They are very good at keeping there nests a secret. I am, however, having a problem with an egg stealer and I think it's my dog. I have my game cam up to catch the theif. My goose is started laying for the first time and her 4 eggs have disappeared. Not to happy about that. Are your turkeys thinking it's spring time where you are?

 

[ColbyNTX]

The seasonal layers lay due to the amount of daylight. If your seasonal layers are laying then they may be getting artifical light of some sort. Dogs can be very bad at steeling eggs. Get the next egg and wash it very well. Then poke a hole in each end and blow it out. Take some mustard and pour in a bunch of cayenne pepper and mix it up. Fill the egg back up and seal the holes with wax and wash it off and put it in the nest. Let him eat a few of those and he may no longer like eggs.

 

[zzGypsy]

this is my first year with turkeys, so I'm not sure WHAT'S normal yet!

at least 2 of my turkey hens are laying and have been for about a month. they're laying in several places, and they're prone to ditch the nest spot after I find it... and there's a possom I'm trying to catch that loves the turkey eggs, so I don't know for sure how many are laying, or how often. I know I've got 8 eggs since monday, and I've seen one of my bronze cross hens sneaking around looking for nest spots, so I know she's one of them. likely the other bronze cross is also laying, but I don't know about the palm hen or the BBW. (I know it's not the chocolate hen because someone broke in and stole her last week

)

are turkeys a one-a-day layer once they start?

the bronze crosses gave me just a few eggs after they arrived in august... does that mean daily turkey eggs from now till next august? that'd be cool, because I'm loving eating them, almost as much as the duck eggs.

and the ducks have started laying too, at least 2 of them.
plus the chicken eggs.
so far, no goose eggs.

we do have a big security light on the power pole that is near our barn where they roost - the roosting area under the shed roof is quite dark, but still... I don't know how much light it takes to make them think we're further into the season.

 

[crj]

Quote:
Oh, you are good ColbyNTX. I will definitely do this. I have a game cam so I hope I can find the culprit. I do believe it's my dog. I caught her nosing around that house today.

 

[crj]

Quote:
I wish I knew what to tell you. I've had my 3 turkeys for over a year now and they only laid eggs in the spring and that was it. As for my ducks....... I have 4 female runners and I get 2 to 4 eggs a day.

I have a security lite but it's more then 200 ft away from the pen. I also have another light that is about 60 feet from the pen but it's yellow. So I don't know what triggered my goose to start laying eggs. My chickens have stopped laying for the longest time now. This is unusual. They went through there molt so some should start laying. Many have red combs. They may be hiding their eggs someplace but I haven't found the spot. Frustrating. But yes, I do know the light has everything to do with no laying.

 

[syble]

its unusually warm here, barley ever below freezing usually just cold enough to inspire a thick sweater or coat. usually by now it would be freezing permanently. my hens have been laying for like a month and a half... with they stop when it cools off? it is very spring like here

 

[emptynesterMom]

I just found my first turkey egg today, hmmm, I wasn't expecting to see any until spring. I have noticed in the past few weeks that my turkeys have started to breed. I am planning on separating the hollands from the BR in early spring but I wonder if I should do that sooner. Now I let then all out together to free range daily. Any suggestions?

 

[zzGypsy]

I'm thinking I'll separate mine out 3 weeks or a month before I intend to start collecting eggs to hatch... that'll let any mixed genetics clear and give them time to sort out who's available for mating with before I start collecting eggs...
but hey, this is my first round, so maybe this is a great plan, or maybe it isn't...
thoughts?

 

[syble]

hens can store sperm for up to 3 months. was a big problem last year with some breeders

 

[zzGypsy]

Quote:
hmmm... I had heard 2 weeks!
ok, replanning.