Do Turkeys Lay Eggs?
OR do they have live babies, give birth, or get pregnant?
Are you curious if a turkey lays an egg or gives birth?
Although much larger than the chicken, the turkey creates life and food in much the same way as a chicken.
A turkey lays an egg, which can be eaten, but if the turkey makes a nest and then sets on the egg for 28 days, a little poult (baby turkey) hatches out of the egg.
If you would like to find out more about the turkey egg, follow this link: Turkey Eggs Facts: (Size, Nutrition, & Taste??), +How to Hatch Them
You can find a lot of articles here on A Life of Heritage that will teach you a lot about poultry and be sure to check out CHICKEN RICH: Profitable Poultry Binder–It’s FULL of to-do lists, checklists, record keeping sheets, and resource pages that will keep your flock healthy and YOU organized!
Where do turkeys lay their eggs?
Hens will scratch out an area to form a small indentation or bowl that she can squat down into and lay an egg. She will usually choose an area that is under a dense brush or overhang which allows her to be safe from predators. She can see her surroundings while staying hidden from danger.
Do wild turkeys lay eggs?
Wild turkeys, domestic turkeys, and any turkey in-between can and will lay eggs.
What time of year do turkeys lay eggs and will they lay eggs year around?
Turkeys are generally seasonal layers, beginning in the spring around April. But some people have found that their birds don’t always fit this mold and begin laying earlier.
If their eggs are picked each day and they are not allowed to make a nest, they will lay for a longer period of time.
How many times a year do turkeys lay eggs?
A turkey can lay up to 100 eggs a year and will lay between 2 and 3 eggs a week.
In a natural setting, they will lay a clutch of eggs. This means they will lay between 10-12 eggs in about two weeks to fill their nest. Then they will go broody and begin to set on the eggs to hatch them out.
Do turkeys lay eggs without a male?
A turkey will lay an egg with or without a male. But they will not be fertile. Without a male, they cannot be placed in an incubator and will not hatch if a hen sets on them.
What does a turkey egg look like?
Turkey eggs are usually a creamy white with brown speckles and they have a much pointer end than a chicken egg.
In this picture below you can see the four turkey eggs in the middle surrounded by a chicken egg and a goose egg.
Photo Credit to Thomasturkey from BackYard Chickens
Can you eat a turkey egg?
Now, don’t go around stealing eggs from any nest you see, but the reality is…you can eat any egg you come across. Eggs you can eat could be in a nest in a tree or a nest on the ground or in the chicken house or buried under some leaves or dirt like a duck sometimes does!
So, yes! A turkey egg is quite edible! In fact, many people prefer them. You can read more about turkey eggs here: Turkey Eggs
Top Turkey Information
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Denise E. Allensays
Does a male TOM mate with his female offspring. Last year the female turkey gave birth to 4 babies. She had two female and two males. We now have 4 turkeys. Will the Dominent Male Tom try to make with the females he produced. Should I keep the female seperate from him. Thank you.
Delci Plouffesays
Hey Denise! A turkey, or any poultry, will not differentiate between who is their prodigy and who isn’t. A tom will mate with their offspring. And if you don’t plan to allow them to set on the eggs or to incubate them, then it probably isn’t an issue. You do want to watch the male to female ratio, so there aren’t too many toms to hens though. Too many male birds can cause unnecessary fighting between them and continual mating may hurt a hen.
Tinasays
Is it better to leave a turkey loose in the yard when they start laying eggs or close them up in like a chicken coop only bigger with the male?
Delci Plouffesays
Most likely your domestic turkeys aren’t going to go off and find a really secretive place to lay as a wild turkey would. So she is probably ok to be loose in the yard. Just pay attention to where she is laying. She might be drawn to an area that is the most seclusive and protected. Good luck!
Riasatsays
Im incubating 5 goose eggs in my home made incubator . It is incubating for about 3 days . I get the temperature at 37.4-37.7°C in the the thermostat . To double check the temperature I filled a plastic bottle with water and submerged 2 thermometers and closed the lid . After few hours when I brought it out both the thermometer’s reading was 98°F .
I think it remained in that temperature for past 3 days .
What should I do now ? Are these eggs still good enough to hatch ?
Delci Plouffesays
Well, that’s a tough one. If you could get the temperature up to where it needs to be, it is possible that they could survive. But it would probably be a delayed hatch. You could keep them in for a week and candle them on day 7 or 8 to see if there is any development and decide from there based on what you see. I hope it all works out for you!
Pastor Abiodunsays
Pastor Abiodun
I took my Turkey to a Tom for mating be she started laying, Pls do I need to take my female turkey to a tom male turkey again during laying.?
Delci Plouffesays
Hello 🙂 A turkey hen, can hold the sperm in their oviduct for up to four weeks. So just keep that in mind. Probably once a month, the hen will need to breed with a Tom to lay fertile eggs each month.
Lawalsays
My turkey have laid nine eggs,how do i know that the turkey will hatch the eggs.is it when she finished laying all the eggs,that is when hatching will begins
Delci Plouffesays
I don’t think it can be forced. She will lay a batch of eggs and when she feels like it’s sufficient, she’ll begin to set on them. It’s hard to predict how it will all play out exactly! I hope all goes well and she begins setting for you!
Linda S. Martinezsays
Does the male turkey lay on the eggs when the female gets up and how long will he sit on them. Will she come back to sit on them anytime if he gets up?
Delci Plouffesays
The hens are the ones who set on the eggs. And she should set on them until they hatch!
Bello Opeyemisays
Do a Turkey hen need to mate everyday while it’s laying for its eggs to be fertilized.
Delci Plouffesays
After mating, a turkey will lay fertile eggs for 7-10 days. So, no, they do not need to mate every day!
🙂
Danielle Wakedsays
My turkey lays her egg for HOURS. Is that normal? Is she taking all the time to actually lay it or is she just sitting on it afterwards for hours? How long does it usually take for them to lay an egg? Sometimes she won’t move for ANYTHING and I have to physically pick her up off the egg and put her in the coop for the night. We take the egg away immediately so she doesn’t have a clutch. Is this what being “broody” is? Or is she physically EXHAUSTED from laying it? Do they get exhausted after laying an egg? Does it hurt them? Any answers would really help!