My turkey has been laying eggs on the sly !

[northernroots]

I have a turkey hen that has been broody now for about a week. I keep taking her eggs because I have never seen my turkeys breed (they were both just hatched last May) so I'm pretty sure the eggs are not fertile. But I'm afraid that she won't go broody again later on when our weather is better. I live in the interior of Alaska and I don't really want any chicks/ducklings/poults until maybe the last part of March. I wonder if I give her a clutch of duck eggs to sit on if she would stop laying her own eggs in the nest??

 

[sonderah]

Possibly.  Last year my turkey hen made a hidden nest.  I only knew she had stopped laying in the nest box in the coop like she had been doing - t took me several days to figure out where her new nest was.  Once I knew, I just kept an eye on her everyday and when she left that spot, I went and collected the egg.  I had to because it was accessible to the dogs and if I didn't get it, they would have.  After laying 6-8 eggs there, she moved to a new place.  This time the tom led me to her.  He would "stand guard" nearby while she laid her egg, and all I had to do was watch where he was hanging out and I found her.  I was going to leave her there, but wanted to move the nest into a dog crate so I could lock her in at night for safety.  So I moved a dog crate over the spot she had been laying and carefully moved the nest and eggs into it.  She never laid there again.

Well poo!! My 1st turkey started laying when she was locked in the coop/run with the chickens because the weather had been so bad. She laid 4 eggs before I was able to let them free range again. After that, no more. So I stalked her one day and found where she had made a nest. A few days later, I found 1 egg in it. Since then nothing. That was a week ago. So today I spent well over an hour looking around the area where she had been hanging out and finally found 1 egg, but I have no idea how long it has been there. They have free range of several acres. I may never find the next spot. Lol And I can't leave them, or they will get eaten by everything else.

 

[HEChicken]

I have a turkey hen that has been broody now for about a week. I keep taking her eggs because I have never seen my turkeys breed (they were both just hatched last May) so I'm pretty sure the eggs are not fertile. But I'm afraid that she won't go broody again later on when our weather is better. I live in the interior of Alaska and I don't really want any chicks/ducklings/poults until maybe the last part of March. I wonder if I give her a clutch of duck eggs to sit on if she would stop laying her own eggs in the nest??

If they hatched in May they are both now sexually mature so even though you haven't seen them mating, it has likely happened and the eggs are probably fertile. If it were me, I would just let her hatch the poults. She will take care of them regardless of the weather and you won't need to do a thing different. Also, they take 4 weeks and 4 weeks from now it will almost be the end of March anyway….

Well poo!! My 1st turkey started laying when she was locked in the coop/run with the chickens because the weather had been so bad. She laid 4 eggs before I was able to let them free range again. After that, no more. So I stalked her one day and found where she had made a nest. A few days later, I found 1 egg in it. Since then nothing. That was a week ago. So today I spent well over an hour looking around the area where she had been hanging out and finally found 1 egg, but I have no idea how long it has been there. They have free range of several acres. I may never find the next spot. Lol And I can't leave them, or they will get eaten by everything else.

Yep. Although mine have free-range over several acres most of the time, I built a hoop coop and plan to confine them for the egg laying season so that nothing can get the eggs and when she goes broody it will be in a safe place. In fact, I plan to move a trio into the hoop coop tonight once they are on their roosts for the night.

 

[mrbuch]

Here they are you can only see 1 of them she keeps them very close to her

 

[sonderah]

How cute!!!!

Here they are you can only see 1 of them she keeps them very close to her

 

[sonderah]

I stalked my turkey ALL day!! For like 3 hours seriously! I found her newest nest!!! I reached in with a stick and moved leaves so I could see, after she was long gone of course, & she has 2 eggs in it right now!!! I covered them back up and left. Yay!!

 

[mrbuch]

Aw how cute you should have some turkeys

 

[sonderah]

Well, its going to be below freezing at night for at least another week. So most won't be viable. But even if she only ends up with a few that actually hatch this year, that'll be fine with me. Next year I think I'll get a pen for breeding season.

 

[HEChicken]

Well, its going to be below freezing at night for at least another week. So most won't be viable. But even if she only ends up with a few that actually hatch this year, that'll be fine with me. Next year I think I'll get a pen for breeding season.

She can't count so you could leave one chicken egg in there and she will probably continue to lay there. Meanwhile you can keep the turkey eggs in where they won't freeze.

 

[sonderah]

Great idea!

She can't count so you could leave one chicken egg in there and she will probably continue to lay there.  Meanwhile you can keep the turkey eggs in where they won't freeze.