Will my Turkey lay again?

[B J Hopkins]

My female Burbon Red went Broody in December at the age of 7 months. I knew from her behavior she was wanting to mate, but I've no Tom turkeys. When she dissapeared I thought she'd gone wild. My Granddaughter founder "Whiskey" nesting in my back yard. She was sitting on 18 eggs. After a couple weeks I tried candling the eggs. Turned out all the eggs were sterile. We've LOTS of wild turkey in the area. Is it likely my hen will mate in the next couple months during the wild turkey mating season? She is also moulting like crazy right now.

 

[cassidy22]

It's unlikely the wild turkeys will mate with her. This is a real problem with turkeys... they don't just go broody like a hen and sit in their nesting box. They wander off into the wild to lay their eggs. She's lucky a predator hasn't gotten her.

Try to reign her in and see if you can fence her in for a while until she gets over the broodiness and decides to stay home for a while.

 

[B J Hopkins]

Actually it only took 2 days of removing her from the nest and putting her back in the chicken yard (once I'd taken all her eggs) to break the broodiness. She'd been sitting for 36 days. Generally when it's not hunting season there are up to 12-15 wild turkey grazing across our property. Since I've no male turkey I was hoping one of the wild Toms would take a likeing to her.

 

[B J Hopkins]

Do the wild turkey just NOT breed w/domestic turkey? Wonder why they wouldn't. They all came from the same stock at one point in time. We've decided to bet more turkey chicks this spring so Whiskey can have companions.

 

[B J Hopkins]

Get more turkey chicks, not bet mor turkey chicks

 

[B J Hopkins]

No body has any suggestions or advice?

 

[FarmTillURdead]

I had a chicken hatch some wild turkey eggs. I thought the idea sounded wonderful as I wanted the "wild" blood for my flock to help make it stronger to local parasites. The eggs hatched fine but the poults were just that - wild. They had wild instincts and I couldn't keep them under control or caged. They escaped a chicken proof dog kennel with chicken wire wrapped around it 4 feet up one night and predators killed all 4 of them.
I also had purchased two other "wild" adult hens thinking I could do this - again... wild. The birds would go into such a massive panic at my apperance they would injure themselves running into walls. They never got use to me bringing them food or water and I tried for months. Even sitting still for hours trying to gain their confidence.
Wild turkeys can breed with domestic birds and in some states it is ruining the wild population. Hunters are seeing these mixed birds show up on game cameras. Domestic birds have lower immune systems than wild birds as domestics are exposed to medications and vaccinations... mixing these weaker birds with the wild population - who already had natural immunities - hurts the strong strain of wild birds. Knowing this hunters are encouraged to shoot to kill these birds like ferral hogs.
and believe me - they would not make good pets - I have tried.
You can't tame wild blood. I have tried with racooons, skunks, possums, birds and rodents. It goes ok for a while and then adult hormones kick in and it always ends ugly. They always end up acting wild no matter how much time you invest. It's a heart breaker. They have a wild instinct to perpetute the species that makes love and human affection pointless to them. Been there. LOTS.
If you really like your hen you should clip her wings and keep her safe and get her a boyfriend, who won't run off on her - wild turkeys stay in a group - that means 36 or so eyes to spot and escape predators. Your wild turkeys need to stay in groups that big to survive. Some eat - some watch for danger. I lost a bird a few days ago that was given to me bacause I could not catch her and she insisted on sleeping in the woods next to the barn. I kept trying to trap her in the barn daily with grain for bait but she was always saw me coming. I found her half burried under a cedar tree like a cat turd on my walk yesterday. It's a devistating feeling knowing if I had clipped her wings the day I got her she wouldn't have been dragged and mauled to death.
It's amazing your bird lasted out there as long as she did... and if she does get nabbed... the predator who did it will be back for another meal at your place when it gets hungry again. I will have to trap and kill wht got my bird to protect my flock.
Just not a whole lot of good can come out of letting her roam. Likely why most folks don't do it. I hope you find a way to make her happy without subjecting her to an painful death by being eaten alive.
I feel for you - I have had these thoughts about my birds too - It just doesn't have any happy endings.

 

[cracked egg]

Your hen will mate with a with a wild tom if given the opportunity. Our birds are left to free range,4 sweetgrass and 4 wild birds. Really can't call them "wild" cause you can walk up and touch them and they follow us around. Our birds all fly very well and can run super fast, so predator issues are slim. They all roost in the barn most nights, where the dog keeps everything bad away.
I would look around in the farm section of want ads or Craigslist, and find a heritage breed companion for her,or get a "wild" Eastern or Rio Grande. I have never had a problem with them running off or becoming wild and their isn't a more beautiful bird.

 

[B J Hopkins]

Thanks for your comments. Now I see why they say the Wild & the Domestic don't interbreed. Perhaps they do - it just isn't good for them. I've plans to purchase day old chicks again, and hopefully I'll get a male to live long enough to be a good companion for her. I don't have a problem keeping her home. The nest she made was in my back yard. It's just she wanted to nest so badly and did without the benefit of a male, hence sterile eggs. But for her protection she'll just have to wait until I can provide a Domestic male turkey for her. Again, thanks for your comments.

 

[FarmTillURdead]

There are some hatcheries that sell the "wild" variety. If you like the look maybe you could get some! Some states have regulations and require permits - some don't! Or perhaps run an add on craigslist. Maybe someone in your area has been breeding a wild domestic variety and could sell you a few. It's always fun to have something special or different! I'm cross breeding my turkeys just for the picture show of color that I might get! Who knows!

My luck they will all be just dumb brown.

Good luck picking out her partner! I am sure she will think he is the bees knees!