raising turkeys for eggs

Raising turkeys for just eggs is not a feasible option. Compared to chickens, turkeys cost more to keep, they lay fewer eggs (up to 100 per year), and they lay eggs at later age (7 months). Nutritionally, turkey eggs are not better than chicken or duck eggs.

Why do we not eat turkey eggs?

Turkeys are bigger than chickens, so they take up more space and require more food. ... And they lay only two eggs a week, compared to a chicken's near-daily production, reports Modern Farmer. This adds up, so that in the rare instance a turkey egg is for sale, it's easily $2 to $3 a pop.

Are turkeys hard to raise?

Turkeys are not that hard to raise, but they differ a bit from chickens in terms of what they need, and raising them from poults (baby turkeys) is more time- and energy-intensive than raising chickens from baby chicks.

Do turkey eggs taste good?

Turkey eggs are totally edible: Those who have backyard turkeys report their eggs taste remarkably similar to chicken eggs. They are slightly bigger, the shell slightly tougher, and the membrane between the shell and the egg slightly thicker, but otherwise, not too different.

How old does a turkey have to be to lay eggs?

At 28 weeks, the poults are ready for the table with males weighing in at a little more than 20 pounds and females about 8 pounds lighter. These turkeys become sexually mature at 5 to 6 months of age and females will lay an egg every other day in the spring and early summer beginning at 6 or 7 months old.

Can a turkey mate with a chicken?

Chicken and turkey hybrids

Other reports found only a few fertile eggs were produced and very few resulted in advance embryos. ... When male turkeys inseminated female chickens, no hybrids resulted; however, the unfertilised chicken eggs began to divide. According to Olson, turkey-chicken crosses produced all males.

Why don't we eat turkey eggs in the UK?

7-8 million turkeys are eaten in the UK each Christmas Day, but their eggs are never sold in shops. The main reason is that turkeys lay less than chickens (around 110 turkey eggs per year as opposed to 300 chicken eggs) so they are relatively expensive and are invariably kept for breeding.

How long does it take for a turkey to grow to full size?

The usual lifespan for a turkey is 10 years, and pure breed turkeys take approximately 4-5 months to grow to full size. The hen turkeys take 16 weeks to mature completely, and average 3.6 kg (8 lb) to 7.2 kg (16 lbs) in weight.

Will free range turkeys fly away?

Because turkeys are able to fly, those birds have been confined to the caged yard. We wanted to allow them free range in the fenced-in grassy area. However, because it has an open top, the turkeys would be able to fly away.

Why should you not eat turkey?

Top 10 Reasons Not to Eat Turkeys

Turkeys Are "People" Too. Turkeys have personalities, just as dogs and cats do. ...
Fear Factories. ...
Don't Be a Butterball! ...
Bird Flu Blues. ...
Turkey-Free, Cholesterol-Free Tasty Treats. ...
Want Stuffing With Your Supergerms? ...
Foul Farming. ...
Feed the World.

Why do we not eat duck eggs?

Duck eggs have 3 times more cholesterol than chicken eggs. This is partly because of their larger overall size, partly because the yolk itself is larger, and partly because duck eggs have a higher fat content. Each duck egg contains 619 milligrams of cholesterol, which is more than twice the daily recommended limit.

Do turkeys sit on their eggs?

The hen doesn't incubate the eggs (sitting on them to keep them warm) until she's laid them all. Hens travel in a females-only flock, but they become more solitary and secretive in May when it comes to nesting. She'll hang out with the flock and feed until she needs to lay an egg. ... And four weeks later the eggs hatch.

Are turkey eggs healthy?

Turkey eggs contain most of the same nutrients as chicken eggs but are richer. The average turkey egg is 50 percent larger than a chicken egg, but contains nearly twice as many calories and grams of fat and four times as much cholesterol.

What should you not feed turkeys?

Understanding the Nutritional Needs of Turkeys.
Foods You Should Never Feed to Turkeys. Low-quality chicken feed. Other Livestock Feeds. Dried/Raw Beans. Avocados. Fruit Pits and Seeds. Tomato and Eggplant Leaves. Raw Meat. Onions. Processed Food. Dairy Foods. Chocolate.
Final Thoughts.

Do wild turkeys sit on their eggs at night?

The nesting period

It takes hens about two weeks to lay a full complement of nine to 13 eggs. Hens will only visit the nesting site long enough to deposit her egg for the day. ... During this time, the hen puts herself in danger to stay on the nest day and night for about 28 days.

How old are turkeys when they are slaughtered?

Hens are slaughtered at about 14–16 weeks and toms at about 18–20 weeks of age when they can weigh over 20 kg (44 lb) compared to a mature male wild turkey which weighs approximately 10.8 kg (24 lb).

Is Turkey a bird or chicken?

The turkey is a large bird in the genus Meleagris, native to North America. There are two extant turkey species: the wild turkey of eastern and central North America and the ocellated turkey of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.

Can you cross breed turkeys?

Domestic turkeys are all the same species, a domestic variant of the common wild turkey. This means they can all breed.

Can peacocks breed with turkeys?

They can't interbreed though. They're very different species from opposite sides of the world who diverged from whatever common ancestor they share a long long time ago. Peafowl are more closely related to chickens than to turkeys, and they can't interbreed with chickens either.

Can a turkey fertilize a chicken egg?

It is highly unlikely that the tom would be able to fertilize a chicken (physical incompatibility). Even if you used artificial insemination to fertilize the chicken hen using turkey semen, it is extremely unlikely that the egg would hatch.

What egg is Turkey From adopt me?

The Turkey was one of the nine pets that were available in the Farm Egg in Adopt Me!. It is classified as an ultra-rare pet and players had a 7.5% chance of hatching one from a Farm Egg.. Price The Turkey was one of the nine pets that were available in the Farm Egg in Adopt Me!.

Which is healthier chicken or duck eggs?

Although both types of eggs are nutritious, duck eggs tend to contain even higher amounts of some nutrients than chicken eggs, including folate, iron, and vitamin B12. Duck eggs contain as much as 168% or more of the DV for vitamin B12.