When will Hen lay eggs?

[NakPakChick]

She's 29 weeks old now. We're going into cold weather, although it's still been mild thus far. Will she try to start laying this year, or should I be on the look out next spring? She's my first turkey hen, so not sure of the time frame on things! Also, will she go through a molt?

 

[Plain_View_Farm]

Probably not until Spring now...

David

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

it will probably be spring before she starts to lay

Steve in NC

 

[chickenannie]

Mine start in late Feb/early March even if its very cold outside. The others start in March/April.

 

[HobbyChickener]

Do Turkeys only lay once a year? Is it always spring? If you take eggs from them will they continue to lay trying to reproduce?

 

[sandspoultry]

Some of ours will lay both in the Spring and then again in the Fall.
Sharon

 

[houndit]

If you take their eggs away mine will lay through part of the Summer.

 

[pdpatch]

Unfortunately you can force then to start laying early by increasing the length of light they have. We put a clear heat lamp in with the Red Bourbons, and the hen is laying now. Way to early for this climate and the experience of the Tom. The Spanish Blacks haven't started yet.

Tom

 

[NakPakChick]

The answer to my original post, as to when might my BBB hen start to lay is.......Last Saturday!!! We've found three so far. She buries them in the straw in her box (an extra large dog kennel), so they are a bit hard to find.

A new question---How long do turkeys usually lay? Do they just keep on laying, like a chicken will? These were my first turkeys, and so she is my first turkey hen. Any tips, bits of wisdom from you experienced turkey people is greatly appreciated!

I'm sooo excited! Yay for turkey eggs! She's saved her big butt from the stew pot for now. lol

 

[VerlonCox]

Congrats on the eggs NakPak!! It is always neat when you start getting eggs from them. Did you breed her to an unimproved? I probably shouldn't but I LOVE the flavor of turkey eggs. I would rather have the taste of one turkey egg yolk over a dozen of my chickens. She will lay throughout the spring if you keep collecting her eggs and stop in the summer. A few of mine lay in the fall but the spring is the best time for them.

My biggest tip for you would probably come across as me being mean but I'm really not trying to be. I can honestly say that I wouldn't own a Broad breasted anything even if they were given to me. I dont have the time to deal with all of the problems that are associated with them when they start getting a little older. I have seen toms and hens that have absolutely no breast feathers because they are always laying on them...............or they cant walk period and lay in their own filth all day. I really hope that this didn't come across as being bad.