Turkey laying mystery

[Berd Man]

So this is my first experience with turkey breeding season. I have three separate breeding groups of turkeys, a pair, a trio, and a Tom with four hens. The group consisting of the Tom and four hens are not laying any eggs at all and are the most mature of the three groups I have. I’m getting eggs very consistently from my other two breeding groups, which again are smaller groups and I’m perplexed how they’re out laying a group with more hens.

I’m trying to figure out if this could be a dietary thing, but I do not think it is because they are all on the same diet of 22% turkey grower. I am going to provide some free choice egg shell / oyster shell starting tomorrow at feed to see if that helps get them started.

I’m not seeing any signs of egg eating like yolk dried on beaks or remnants of egg on the substrate in the pens.

None of the hens can leave their pens and I am sure no nests are hidden. Is there something I may be missing?

I had thought that it’s still early in the season, I’m in Southern Indiana, but I feel like others in my region are having normal rates of laying in their turkey pens already.

The hens in question are 11 months old and the other hens laying more are around 7 months old. Any advice is welcome.

 

[R2elk]

So this is my first experience with turkey breeding season. I have three separate breeding groups of turkeys, a pair, a trio, and a Tom with four hens. The group consisting of the Tom and four hens are not laying any eggs at all and are the most mature of the three groups I have. I’m getting eggs very consistently from my other two breeding groups, which again are smaller groups and I’m perplexed how they’re out laying a group with more hens.

I’m trying to figure out if this could be a dietary thing, but I do not think it is because they are all on the same diet of 22% turkey grower. I am going to provide some free choice egg shell / oyster shell starting tomorrow at feed to see if that helps get them started.

I’m not seeing any signs of egg eating like yolk dried on beaks or remnants of egg on the substrate in the pens.

None of the hens can leave their pens and I am sure no nests are hidden. Is there something I may be missing?

I had thought that it’s still early in the season, I’m in Southern Indiana, but I feel like others in my region are having normal rates of laying in their turkey pens already.

The hens in question are 11 months old and the other hens laying more are around 7 months old. Any advice is welcome.

Are these all the same variety? Are they all getting the same amount of light? If one pen is more shaded than the other pens, it can affect the results.

My yearling hen started laying first followed several days later by the 2 year old hens. My five and six year old hens have not started laying yet even though the youngest started laying on March 21.

For adult hens, I would not feed turkey grower feed. I feed my adult hens 20% protein all flock pellets with free choice oyster shell.

I can tell when the hens are getting ready to start laying by when they start eating the oyster shell.

 

[Berd Man]

Are these all the same variety? Are they all getting the same amount of light? If one pen is more shaded than the other pens, it can affect the results.

My yearling hen started laying first followed several days later by the 2 year old hens. My five and six year old hens have not started laying yet even though the youngest started laying on March 21.

For adult hens, I would not feed turkey grower feed. I feed my adult hens 20% protein all flock pellets with free choice oyster shell.

I can tell when the hens are getting ready to start laying by when they start eating the oyster shell.

They’re all different varieties. I have a pair that is painted, the trio is semi pencilled calico, and the Tom with four hens are Narragansett/Golden Narragansett.

Could the 22% be negatively impacting the egg production of the Narragansetts while having no effect on the other two groups? As for the light, the Narragansetts have a large uncovered run while my other two pens are covered by a roof / shade cloth.

 

[Zenmonkey]

Could the 22% be negatively impacting the egg production of the Narragansetts while having no effect on the other two groups?

My money is that the Narragansetts are just low on calcium. "Grower" typically implies a higher protein feed with a lower calcium content than you'd find in a "layer" label.

 

[Zenmonkey]

My apologies. I think I missed a point. You're asking why is there a difference? Why are the hens 4 months older not laying while the younger hens are?

Chance. Slightly different feeding rates. I'd bet that the younger hens, continued with the same treatment as the ones 4 months older, aren't going to lay a full season.

It could also be varietal. Different genetics will allow the other two pens to sacrifice more calcium to lay a few eggs, but the Narragansetts are like "nope! Not until we get more calcium! "

Simple to test though. Oyster shell is inexpensive compared to other costs in raising birds.

 

[Molpet]

I always have oysters shells on the side available.
My older hens start laying later.
I have looked and looked for hidden nest and finally find when there's one peaking out. A DZ eggs burried where I thought I had looked every day for week

 

[Berd Man]

My apologies. I think I missed a point. You're asking why is there a difference? Why are the hens 4 months older not lasting while the younger hens are?

Chance. Slightly different feeding rates. I'd bet that the younger hens, continued with the same treatment as the ones 4 months older, aren't going to lay a full season.

It could also be varietal. Different genetics will allow the other two pens to sacrifice more calcium to lay a few eggs, but the Narragansetts are like "nope! Not until we get more calcium! "

Simple to test though. Oyster shell is inexpensive compared to other costs in raising birds.

Okay, thank you for your input. This makes sense. I will start by providing the calcium free choice, if that doesn’t help I will search for a gamebird layer formula. I may have to switch feeds altogether as the mill I buy from currently only offers 28% protein or 22% protein turkey food.

 

[Berd Man]

I always have oysters shells on the side available.
My older hens start laying later.
I have looked and looked for hidden nest and finally find when there's one peaking out. A DZ eggs burried where I thought I had looked every day for week

I have been thinking they have been hiding them but I scoured their pen and they cannot venture off anywhere…I’m thinking I just needed to do what you’re doing and offer the calcium. I’ll start there. These are slightly older hens than my other groups so perhaps that will be a factor also. Thank you!

 

[R2elk]

Okay, thank you for your input. This makes sense. I will start by providing the calcium free choice, if that doesn’t help I will search for a gamebird layer formula. I may have to switch feeds altogether as the mill I buy from currently only offers 28% protein or 22% protein turkey food.

Just buy a quality all flock feed. It doesn't have to say it is turkey feed.

 

[R2elk]

They’re all different varieties. I have a pair that is painted, the trio is semi pencilled calico, and the Tom with four hens are Narragansett/Golden Narragansett.

My guess is that it is due to them being a different variety.