Mia Patel
A hen turkey, also known as a hen, will lay a clutch of nine to thirteen eggs, which are then incubated for around 28 days. Interestingly, newly hatched turkeys are not called chicks, but poults, as they are precocial, meaning they are ready to run soon after hatching.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of eggs laid by a hen turkey | 9-13 |
| Time taken to lay a full clutch of eggs | 2 weeks |
| Number of eggs in a full clutch | 9-13 |
| Time taken for eggs to hatch | 26-28 days |
| What are newly hatched turkeys called | Poults |
| Time taken by poults to leave the nest | 12-24 hours |
| Age when male and female poults are distinguishable | 14 weeks |
| Age when poults can roost in low trees with the hen | 3 weeks |
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What You'll Learn
Hen turkey eggs hatch into poults, not chicks
A hen turkey typically lays a clutch of nine to thirteen eggs over a two-week period. After the last egg is laid, the hen will continuously incubate the eggs, only leaving for a short time to feed. This incubation period lasts for about 28 days, after which the eggs hatch.
However, what hatches from these eggs are not called chicks, but poults. The difference between chicks and poults is that chicks are "altricial", meaning they are hatchlings that are not yet mobile, featherless, and blind. In contrast, poults are "precocial", meaning they are ready to run and have fuzzy feathers and open eyes.
Poults can follow their mother hen as she leads them through her territory in search of food and to avoid predators. The hen will make an alarm call and flee if there is an intruder, drawing attention away from the nest. Hens will also imprint on their poults, making soft clucks to begin the process of imprinting, which facilitates the rapid social development of the poults into adults.
Within the first two days, poults learn most of their characteristic feeding, movement, and grooming behavior patterns. By the second week, poults can roost in low trees with the hen, indicating a change in diet from mostly insects to more plant matter. By the thirteenth week, male and female poults are distinguishable by body size and plumage.
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A hen lays 9-13 eggs
A hen turkey will lay a clutch of 9-13 eggs. The number of eggs laid by a hen turkey depends on several factors, including the age, breed, and health of the turkey. The average hen turkey lays about 100 eggs per year, but some breeds may lay up to 50% more. The egg-laying process typically begins when the hen is around 7 months old, with peak production occurring between 2 and 5 years of age. During this peak production period, a hen may lay an egg every 24 to 32 hours, resulting in a full clutch of eggs within two weeks.
The breeding behaviour of turkeys is triggered by the increasing day length in spring and the subsequent hormonal response. Courtship behaviours include gobbling and strutting by the male tom turkeys, which attracts the female hens. Hens will then search for a secluded nesting site, typically a shallow depression in a moderately dense understory that provides protection while allowing the hen to keep watch.
Once the hen starts laying eggs, she will focus on feeding and bulking up to prepare for the upcoming incubation period. The incubation period for turkey eggs typically lasts about 28 days, during which the hen will remain on the nest continuously, only leaving briefly for a midday snack of protein-rich insects.
After the eggs hatch, the newly hatched turkeys, called poults, can walk shortly after hatching and usually leave the nest within 12-24 hours. The biggest threat to a young turkey's survival is within the first 10 days of life, as they are vulnerable to predation and susceptible to hypothermia if their down gets wet. As summer progresses, the hens and their poults will join other females and their offspring, while the male tom turkeys form separate flocks.
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Incubation takes 26-28 days
The hen turkey's incubation period lasts between 26 and 28 days. During this time, the hen will sit quietly, only moving about once an hour to turn and reposition her clutch of eggs. This period of continuous incubation begins when the last egg is laid, and the hen will only leave for a short period to feed. She may remain on the nest for several consecutive days.
The hen will lay her eggs in a secluded nesting site, which she may return to year after year. She will build a ground nest in a place with good cover and close to good brood habitat, normally an opening in the forest cover. The nest is a shallow depression formed by scratching and squatting. The hen will lay one egg every 24 to 32 hours, taking about two weeks to lay a full clutch of nine to thirteen eggs.
In between laying eggs, the hen will focus on feeding and bulking up to withstand the upcoming incubation period. Once all the eggs have been laid, she will begin the incubation process, during which the embryos in the eggs will begin to develop. The hen will occasionally interrupt her incubation to eat a midday snack of protein-rich insects.
After 26 to 28 days of incubation, the eggs will hatch. Newly hatched turkeys are called poults and are ready to run. They can walk shortly after hatching and usually leave the nest within 12 to 24 hours. They will roost in low trees with the hen and begin to learn and mimic her behaviour, including pecking at food items.
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Hens may re-nest and lay again
A hen turkey will typically lay a clutch of nine to thirteen eggs, which will hatch into chicks after approximately four weeks of incubation. However, it is not uncommon for a hen to lose a clutch soon after laying, either due to predators or adverse weather conditions. In such cases, the hen may re-nest and lay another clutch without the need to re-breed, as sperm from the initial mating can remain viable for up to 30 days. This results in hunters occasionally spotting a newly hatched brood of turkeys in late August or September, which is more likely to be a hen's second or third clutch rather than the first.
The willingness of hens to re-nest and lay again has contributed to the explosion of turkey populations in certain regions, such as Oregon. Biologists have observed that hens will travel miles from their breeding site to find a secluded nesting site and may return to their breeding site to raise their poults. Some hens exhibit site fidelity, returning to the same breeding, nesting, and brooding sites year after year. Once a hen discovers an ideal nesting location, she may use it for life, provided the conditions remain favourable.
The breeding cycle of wild turkeys is influenced by the changing seasons and the length of daylight. Breeding typically begins in late February or early March in southern habitats and as late as April in northern regions. The cycle is completed with the hatching of poults by June or mid-summer in more northern areas. Birds that re-nest may produce broods as late as August.
The survival rate of poults increases significantly if they can survive the first few critical weeks after hatching. During this vulnerable period, young turkeys are susceptible to predation by various animals, including ravens, crows, hawks, skunks, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, and even stray cats. Additionally, wet weather poses a threat, as their down feathers can get soaked, leading to hypothermia. However, if poults survive beyond the first few weeks, their chances of reaching adulthood improve considerably.
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Toms can breed with multiple hens
A hen turkey will typically lay a clutch of nine to thirteen eggs, which will hatch into chicks, known as poults, after about four weeks of incubation. The poults are ready to run and leave the nest within 12 to 24 hours of hatching.
During the breeding season, which peaks in spring and early summer, male turkeys, or Toms, will breed with multiple hens. The Toms strut to attract females, and the hen will crouch to select the gobbler for mating. The female hens will then typically travel away from the breeding site to find a secluded nesting site, where they will lay their eggs.
Hens will lay one egg every 24 to 32 hours, taking about two weeks to lay a full clutch of nine to thirteen eggs. In between laying eggs, the hen will feed and bulk up to prepare for the incubation period. Once all the eggs have been laid, the hen will incubate them, day and night, for about 28 days.
After mating, the Toms and younger male turkeys, or Jakes, will retreat to a separate males-only flock. The Toms will return to their strutting grounds, while the Jakes will look to establish their own breeding territory. The Jakes find it difficult to compete with the mature Toms, so they may travel long distances to find a mate.
While it is typical for a hen's clutch to be fathered by a single Tom, around 40% of nests show evidence of multi-paternity. This is because females are trying to increase the chances of having higher-quality offspring and increase the number of surviving poults.
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Frequently asked questions
A hen turkey, or hen, lays between 9 to 13 eggs during a two-week period. These eggs are then incubated for about 28 days.
Newly-hatched turkeys are called poults.
Unlike chicks, poults are "precocial", meaning they are ready to run and have fuzzy feathers and open eyes.
A hen turkey's egg will hatch after an incubation period of 26 to 28 days.
A hen turkey will lay one egg every 24 to 32 hours.
