Breeding Turkeys
Breeding Turkeys - First Things First For Successfully
Breeding Turkey
Successfully breeding turkeys is all about following the science --
or at least, the instinctive breeding practices of the birds. First
thing you have to know is that turkeys reach sexual maturity at 7
months and must be mated immediately to produce batches of
fertilized eggs. Unlike chicken egg production, breeding turkeys is
riskier since unfertilized turkey eggs are considered unmarketable
and are therefore destroyed immediately. (There is no market for
such eggs and are usually considered very low in nutritional value.)
For small farms, a breeding tom can be mated with as many as 10
hens. However, to ensure that there are large volumes of fertilized
eggs, alternating 2 toms during the entire breeding cycle is the
norm.
The health of the female turkeys should also be considered when
breeding turkeys. The birds should be outfitted with canvas saddles
to protect their backs from overeager males. Clipping the toms'
toenails also ensures that the female remain healthy as the
fertilized eggs develop within a 25 week cycle. As a rule, hens
normally lay between 88 and 93 eggs each. Some hens are slaughtered
for meat afterwards, but you can also try molting the hen -- or give
the hen a certain resting period of about 90 days or 3 months -- so
that it can be mated once more. The second laying cycle usually
yields lesser number of eggs (70 to 80 fertilized eggs,) but this
can still be considered as profitable.
Lastly, all bird species need nests in order to lay eggs. The use of
community nests of at least 0.5 meters wide and 0.5 meters deep for
5 hens should be enough to keep the eggs safe.
Other Articles:
Farming Turkeys For Beginners - What Farming Practice Should You
Engage In?
Feeding Turkey - Steps and Techniques in Feeding Turkey to Make Them
Plump for Thanksgiving Dinner
Easy Guide to Rearing Turkeys - Tips Turkey Owners Should Know
Before Buying More
How to Raise Baby Turkeys - Considerations Before Even Beginning to
Operate Any Livestock at Home
Beginner's Guide to Turkey Rearing
How To Raise Turkeys – Common Mistakes and Problems to Avoid When
Raising Turkeys
Keeping Turkeys - A Beginner's Guide to Keeping Turkeys As Pets at
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