We get a breeding pair of wild breed Turkeys and was told she would not lay for a few months.. Eggmagine my surprise when I was out feeding today, there was an egg in the yard. They have a big shed they can get in, but the egg was laying out there in the open. Should I wait to see if she lay's more? should I grab it Thursday when I go in there to fix a cover over the top of the pen? How long do they take to incubate? Has anyone had any luck incubating turkey eggs?
Thanks in Advance
Roseane
Turkey Advise Please
Well MissJestr we're all reading and no one is answering so I guess we're all clueless too so far. My only experience with turkeys was having a pet one as a child, she never laid any eggs that I know of so perhaps she just scattered them carelessly about never to be found. Clearly I'm no help.
ZZ had a couple Turkey chicks that someone brought her...they were fairly fragile. I do remember that they required a special diet...bugs, I think.
How convenient!
The one thing I can say is... give the hen a chance to get her cycle going.. First eggs could be deformed. I'd give her a while of laying before I tried to incubate any.. Just my opinion.. I had a bad experience with eggs that were not right.. Might have just been a fluke, but I think it's better to wait.
If you can leave her to raise her own, I would if it were me. She knows what eggs to incubate better than I do!
The wild pair I had were abandoned, and didn't know how to eat or drink.. a chick for company didn't teach them either.. I had to buy worms. It was expensive and very stressful to see them go for days without eating or drinking.. they were escape artists too.. that I remember well.. messing up everything and it took forever to catch them!
Here is the thread I started in a panic to find out what to do. :)
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/982622/
Good luck, no matter what you decide to do!
What are turkey eggs good for? I mean if she does nothing with the egg, should I collect it and cook it? hummm I guess I will be studying today..LOL
Thanks ZZ for the Link, I feel like I am going into unchartered waters with our new birds, so I better learn what I can.. and lay in a supply of meal worms... Maybe I should start thinking about growing some grass in a container just incase... LOL
Miss J if you need to find a source for meal worms let me know I know of 2. I get them for the wild birds.