Breeding turkeys

[Alexandra]

This may be a strange question for this time of year, but I'm trying to plan ahead!!!
We got 2 pairs of turkeys over a year ago - one pair of Bourbon Reds and one pair of Crolwitzer (sorry if the spelling is wrong), with the hope of breeding turkeys last year. We got a fair number of eggs from them and I incubated them - not a thing. On candling none of the eggs were fertile. Does anyone have any experience of breeding turkeys? We tried separating the males and females for a while and then reintroducing them, but I don't think the boys were interested in the girls at all. Is this common? I've heard that in commercial flocks they use AI, but don't really want to go there. Any advice for this year?
Thanks,
Mary.
http://www.theveterinarysmallholder.com/

[ClareMarie]

This may be a strange question for this time of year, but I'm trying to plan ahead!!!
We got 2 pairs of turkeys over a year ago - one pair of Bourbon Reds and one pair of Crolwitzer (sorry if the spelling is wrong), with the hope of breeding turkeys last year. We got a fair number of eggs from them and I incubated them - not a thing. On candling none of the eggs were fertile. Does anyone have any experience of breeding turkeys? We tried separating the males and females for a while and then reintroducing them, but I don't think the boys were interested in the girls at all. Is this common? I've heard that in commercial flocks they use AI, but don't really want to go there. Any advice for this year?
Thanks,
Mary.
http://www.theveterinarysmallholder.com/

I have two pairs of turkeys and we got eggs to but weren't fertile, think our problem is he stag would rther flirt with the ducks Hoping this year to ave better success, sorry I couldnt be more help

[smiffy]

stags can be really lazy!!

if the two stags are next door they will spend more time displaying to each other than treadding the hens. Have you seen the stag tread the hens??

[ElizabethBinary]

Turkey hens are notoriously terrible mothers. Make sure you give the egg to a brooding chook... the chook will accept her ugly baby as her own.

[JulieSherris]

I have a bronze tom running with a black hen & a grey hen... the 2 hens are true in colour, but I suspect they are not true to any breed!!

Anyway, from the outset, George our big lad set about the 2 girls - now, we've not got to the point of having eggs yet, but at least I know they are trying to breed so far

I don't know too much about either of your breeds Mary, but have you checked that they are a naturally mating bird? (Unlike the Broad Breasted White turkeys commercially grown today.) There are several breeds out there that need to be AI because they don't mate naturally, even if they try.

I was also told by a few turkey folk that you should have at least 3 or 4 hens to one tom, any less than that can make the hens stressed & they will naturally reject the tom's advances.
I have some eggs going into the incubator in the next few days (fingers crossed - my friends know what to get me for my birthday ) and that will give me more hens for the harem

Good luck!!