Turkeys don't lay fertile eggs

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Hi Country Folks,

We have 2 Toms (one is the daddy of the other one) and 3 hens (no mothers) and are trying again this year to incubate the eggs. The daddy produced quite a bit of fertile eggs last year with other hens that we had last year. Since one month we are now trying to incubate the eggs that we get but not one has been fertile so far. We even moved the "son" to a different area because we thought that he was too interruptive. Still no luck. Any ideas what could be wrong? Any idea what we could do different?

-- Bernd Schneitler (Bernd001@aol.com), April 04, 2001

Answers

I do not know what type you are raising, but my sister said that large breasted turkeys have a hard time fertilizing...because they have been bread to be so big.?? Was the daddy the same size last year when he fertilized all those eggs? ~~ Just an idea. I do not raise turkeys, so I'm not real sure. :) Good luck.

-- Brenda (brenclark@alltel.net), April 05, 2001.

I have heard that broad-breasted toms are no good for fertilising after the first year (unless you get involved and start lifting, holding, and generally getting more intimately involved in turkey sex than most of us would want to do); because they get too big, broad and heavy to be able to complete the act. Maybe you should shut Dad away so he won't stop Sonny from doing the deed, and let the lad have a go.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), April 05, 2001.

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