I have a pair of Royal Palm turkeys. Last night Tyson was showing his stuff, tail feathers up and he was all dancing around like look at me aint I pretty. So was Tessla. I know it is mating season for wild turkeys, but all I can find to read on this breed is they lay eggs in the spring. So I am assuming this is the act of mating. So will she lay eggs in now also? Also somewhere I read that RP's can lay up to 120 eggs a year????
I have had them about 2 months now and have not seen them even interested in each other.
That would be to cool to have baby turkeys. Also they are out with the ducks and the chickens should I put them up. They love to free range.
Turkeys
My Narragansetts bred all year long. It was a rare occurance to see that tom not all puffed up. He displayed so much that he wore the feathers off his chest. Anything in the yard was fair game as long as it held still for a moment. The dog and I learned to keep moving and NEVER sit on the ground. The female however, never tried to lay untill early spring and then she found a spot in their sleeping hut (a kids play house) to make her nest. Her second nest, she made on the other side of the fence as he was too fat to hop over anymore and she got some peace. They were free range in a very large yard.
I never removed any eggs so she just layed till she filled her nest. The second nest, we didn't even find till it was full.
How old were they when they started mating? Did he hurt the females?
He never hurt her, only irritated her with his attentions. They mated a few times in the fall, but then it started in earnest about February. She has eggs by April.
Thanks JYL. Our toms are getting pretty pecky with each other, so we are concerned they may start in on the girls. They are almost 8 weeks old, late in the year, I know. The toms have just started showing their little tails, they look like table decorations! So cute. How many eggs hatched?
12 out of 14. I had one that started displaying at a week old. It was hysterical.