Which turkeys are best for egg production? and question about midget whites

[cupman]

Hello, everyone, I was considering getting some turkeys to add to my flock of chickens and just had a couple questions. I know that blackhead is a serious risk to turkeys but I am now at the point where I'll be hatching all my future poultry so I'm hoping it isn't a problem. I wanted to raise turkeys mainly for egg production but I also plan on keeping a breading stock for meat. So I just had a couple questions:

1) What is the best laying breed? How well do midget white turkeys lay?

2) How long does a midget white turkey take to raise?(until slaughter age I mean)

3) Will midget white hens get along well with my flock of chickens or will there be fighting?

Thank you!

 

[HEChicken]

Sorry, I don't know the answers to your 3 questions but did want to comment on the blackhead. My understanding is that it is something that exists in certain areas, so has nothing to do with whether you hatch your own or get them shipped in. In other words, if you have blackhead in your area, they will be at risk. Many people suggest inquiring at your local extension office as to whether blackhead is in your area. If I'm wrong, I hope someone will correct me - I am just at the learning/research stage on turkeys myself.

 

[cupman]

Oh really? Well that's good to know. I thought it was only a risk when bringing in outside poultry. I know you can have your soil tested but I'm not sure how much that would cost... maybe I'll just start small in case the disease is in my area. I hope not, turkeys seem so awesome.

 

[java girl 2]

IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE STRAIN OF THE TURKEY BREED. LIKE I HAVE BOURBON REDS AND NARRAGANSETTS AND SOME LAY VERY WELL AND SOME DON'T, IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE BREEDERS STRAIN. I DO KNOW THAT THE MIDGET WHITES TAKE THE SAME TIME AS THE OTHER BREEDS 28-30 WEEKS FOR MEAT AND THE HENS WILL START LAYING AT 30 WEEKS "IF THEY HAVE A LIGHT" THEY NEED 14-16 HOURS A DAY TO LAY AND THE MALE TOMS NEED THE LIGHT AS WELL. THEY WILL NOT BE FERTILE WITH OUT THE LIGHT!!!! MY TURKEYS HAVE 15 HOURS AND THEY ARE LAYING RIGHT NOW.

 

[zzGypsy]

on the blackhead, I don't know if it persists in the dirt or not, but if it does, simply being in an area where it's been puts all your birds at risk... both chickens and turkeys can get it, however chickens are much more likely to recover from it, turkeys much more likely to die from it.

that's why it's a problem when introducing outside birds - chickens that have been exposed can give it to your turkeys... the chickens may be fine, but you can lose a lot of turkeys.

we've got both chickens and turkeys and no problems. I have introduced new birds from time to time, we've had no problems with them either. a friend of mine works for a turkey grow-out operation and he says they have had outbreaks of blackhead locally... but we've had no trouble with it. I just won't be buying any commercial turkeys to run with my flock.

as for egg laying, I've got 2 bronze crosses, a palm and a BBW hen... the bronze crosses are laying (and one is setting) and the BBW is laying too - but so far I don't think the palm is. the bronze crosses laid until late october last year, so they're the egg producers in my little flock.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

1) What is the best laying breed? How well do midget white turkeys lay?

2) How long does a midget white turkey take to raise?(until slaughter age I mean)

3) Will midget white hens get along well with my flock of chickens or will there be fighting?

Thank you!

Steve at S&S Poultry has many varieties of turkeys. I've hatched some of his Midget White and Bronze birds.

He says the Beltsville Whites outlays everything else.

My Midget Whites are table ready in the seven to eight month range. Better still at a year, but there's a trade-off in tenderness and the amount of feed you have in them by that point.

Midget Whites should get along with your chickens OK if you don't crowd them. Every once in a while a rooster will get cross-wise with the turkey hens. If that happens you'd better pull him out because they can be pretty hard on him. The toms don't care, but once in a while the hens will take a dislike to a rooster...

 

[ChickensofTroy]

I have had Beltsville Turkeys for two years. The first year I only had two hens and one Tom. One hen laid almost every day consistency until molt, the other every other day. This year I have got an additional 9 hens and two toms and they started cranking out 9 -11 eggs a day starting in December. Trouble is that the Toms are getting enough light to be fertile. I have only two eggs fertile out of the 24 I have tried to hatch. Going to try to hatch some more in March, when the Tom's get more light. Also, I am adding Regular Bronze's this year and I will update on their egg laying capability.

 

[NCBantam22]

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but say I got a couple midget white poults this year, could I raise them with my chicks, and also will a tom try to breed a chicken hen?

 

[ChickensofTroy]

We started off with Bourbon reds and Beltsville. The Beltsville starting laying the minute they got mature, and only stop laying when they molt. It is kind of amazing. However, the Tom's of the Beltsville need lots of light 14-16 hours. Their fertility rate is in the basement. I tried to hatch eggs in January and only had about 10%. The eggs just weren't fertilized when I candled them. We are trying Bronze this year. I have heard they lay well also.