Author Topic: does anyone know about turkey mating? (Read 3897 times)

marigold · « **on:** March 21, 2011, 08:50:07 am »

We have a pair of Norfolk Black Turkeys which are about 10 months old. We hatched them in an incubator and reared them by hand so they are very tame. Now that it is spring the female has started laying lovely eggs and the male is just about always fluffed up and strutting his stuff. Thing is that we haven't seen any evidence of him managing to get very near or mount his Mrs. Has anybody got any words of wisdom about this - should we do something? are they just shy and waiting until dark? Don't really fancy trying to help.

Henstock · « **Reply #1 on:** March 21, 2011, 09:15:45 am »

They will do it in their own time but you should really get her a saddle, turkey stags are heavy and can damage a hen if not protected!
BTW can you get her to have a word with my three and get them to start laying!!!

Andrew · « **Reply #2 on:** March 21, 2011, 09:31:11 am »

We are in a similar situation. Have a Black Stag and two bronze hens about 10 months old. Neither hen is laying yet but stag has been interested in them for about 3 weeks. One of the hens has been presenting herself to him for mating and until this weekend he tried every conceivable position but he has now finally worked out how to do it correctly but only with one of his hens so far. Hopefully in time your stag will work it out too.

princesspiggy · « **Reply #3 on:** March 21, 2011, 12:35:14 pm »

how many eggs does a turkey lay and when? do they go broody or do u incubate the eggs?

hedgenest · « **Reply #4 on:** March 21, 2011, 01:04:11 pm »

Just trust the turkey! he knows what to do! We also doubted our stag last year, and when the hens began to sit their clutch, we had turkeys hatching everywhere! The recommendation to saddle the hens is very important - one mating can rip wide open a hen's back. The saddles are easy to make, a layer of leather and a layer of canvas (12" wide and 10" deep, semicircular) stitched together, with cord placed in a 'U' shape 6" wide and 8" long and sewn onto the top. This gives the stag purchase and protects the back of the hen. The saddle has adjustable tape loops on the top edge which go over the wings to keep the saddle on. The hens flap for a few minutes and then ignore it. Good luck.

marigold · « **Reply #5 on:** March 21, 2011, 07:11:45 pm »

Thank you all - better get with the leather needle. Our hen has laid 4 eggs in the last 10 days. The stag is definitely changing his behaviour just now he flew at my daughter this morning in an aggressive way. He was quite scary. She had to put up with all the others on the school bus laughing at her when they witnessed her screaming and running away.

princesspiggy · « **Reply #6 on:** March 23, 2011, 10:25:47 am »

do u keep the saddles on 24/7? if so for how many weeks?

Hermit · « **Reply #7 on:** March 23, 2011, 12:30:11 pm »

I let mine get on with it , mine are a light breed so never had any damage to the hens. I was showing a little girl the turkeys the other day and what a performance he put on, so embarrassing

hedgenest · « **Reply #8 on:** March 23, 2011, 01:08:30 pm »

The saddle stays on 24/7 until they go broody and begin to sit, and then I remove it one morning when she comes out to eat and drink (her only outing of the day once she begins to sit tight) because by then the stag has calmed down and doesn't tread the hen turkey. At over twice the weight of a hen, the stags arent violent but just clumsy and heavy and can rip the skin off the back with one mating if there is no saddle...never worth taking that risk for the hen's sake.
This may be different with other breeds, but ours lay and sit better if they lay and hatch in separate houses, or at least a good distance apart, and screened off. Our friend had two tea cases side by side in a big shed, and the hens would get confused, steal each others eggs, and squabble...which didnt make for a good hatching from either. Ours laid about 18 or so eggs, and then began to sit. They were wonderful mothers, looked after the large hatch, and only squashed one....dont know how they manage not to with such big legs and feet!
Maybe we have just been lucky, but they are less precarious as parents than geese, or hens. good luck.

princesspiggy · « **Reply #9 on:** March 23, 2011, 02:20:16 pm »

Quote from: hedgenest on March 23, 2011, 01:08:30 pm

This may be different with other breeds, but ours lay and sit better if they lay and hatch in separate houses, or at least a good distance apart, and screened off. Our friend had two tea cases side by side in a big shed, and the hens would get confused, steal each others eggs, and squabble...which didnt make for a good hatching from either.

we had this problem with chickens once, they were fighting over the eggs, then the chicks, and managed to squash and kill the chicks in their enthusiasm.

Quote from: Hermit on March 23, 2011, 12:30:11 pm