As a long-time turkey enthusiast and backyard farmer, I’m often asked how many eggs a turkey can lay per year. Many people are surprised to learn that turkeys lay far fewer eggs than chickens. But the exact number depends on a variety of factors. In this article, I’ll cover everything you need to know about turkey egg production.
Turkey Breeds Lay Different Amounts of Eggs
There are many different breeds of domesticated turkeys, and each has its own egg laying traits Heritage turkey breeds like Narragansett, Bourbon Red, and Black Spanish lay 100-120 eggs per year Modern broad-breasted turkeys only lay 60-80 eggs annually. Wild turkeys lay even fewer eggs – only about 2 per week during peak spring laying season.
So when someone asks me “How many eggs do turkeys lay?” my first response is always “Well, what kind of turkey are we talking about?” The breed makes a huge difference!
Turkeys Lay Seasonally
Another key point about turkeys is that they are seasonal layers They lay the most eggs during the spring months when mating instincts kick in and daylight hours increase
Egg production declines over the summer and stops completely in the fall and winter. So the total number of eggs a turkey lays per year depends on the length of the laying season.
In warm climates with a longer spring, turkeys may lay for 6 months and produce more eggs than turkeys living where winter lasts longer.
Age Impacts Total Eggs Laid
A turkey’s first year of laying is often lower than later years. Young hens may only produce 60-70 eggs their first season. As turkeys mature over 2-3 years, they hit peak production. After about 5 years of age, their total eggs laid per year starts declining again.
So when evaluating how many eggs a turkey can lay in a year, her age is a significant factor. Maximum egg production happens somewhere between 2-5 years old for most breeds.
Nutrition Levels Affect Egg Numbers
Proper nutrition is crucial for turkeys to lay a large number of eggs. Their feed should contain 16-20% protein as well as ample calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D. Access to greens, seeds, and insects provides essential nutrients too.
During the off-season when turkeys aren’t laying, they don’t need as much nutritional supplementation. But excellent nutrition must be provided generously during the spring laying season to maximize egg production.
Egg Laying Requires Lots of Energy
Laying eggs requires tremendous energy expenditure for turkeys. They mobilize significant calcium and protein reserves to produce each large egg. This leaves less energy available for continual rapid egg laying.
Chickens have been selectively bred to lay smaller eggs nearly daily. But turkey hens need about 36 hours to rest and recover between laying each egg. This physiologic demand limits turkeys to laying only 2-3 eggs per week at their peak.
Predators Reduce Wild Turkey Egg Production
In commercial farm flocks, tight security protects turkey hens and their nests. But wild turkeys face rampant nest predation. Up to 85% of ground nests with 10-15 eggs get raided by predators like raccoons, foxes, snakes, crows, etc.
With such low survival of nests and high loss of eggs, wild turkey hens may only raise 1-2 clutches of poults per year. This predation pressure greatly reduces the total eggs a wild hen can lay annually compared to domestic turkeys.
How Many Eggs Do Turkeys Lay Each Year?
Taking all these factors into account, a good ballpark estimate is:
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Heritage turkey breeds lay 100-120 eggs per year
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Broad-breasted turkeys lay 60-80 eggs annually
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Wild turkeys lay around 50-70 eggs per year
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First year layers produce about 60-80 eggs their first season
So while turkeys don’t lay nearly as many eggs as chickens, their impressive large eggs make up for the lower quantity. With proper turkey breed selection for your climate and farming practices to maximize egg production, you can enjoy a consistent yearly supply of turkey eggs.
In my own mixed breed backyard turkey flock here in Oregon, my hens each lay about 90-110 eggs per year. The exact number varies by individual hen based on age, health, predation losses, and seasonal extremes. But I can always count on having plenty of giant turkey eggs for eating and hatching each spring!
The Economics of Turkey Eggs
Unless you know someone who raises their own turkeys, turkey eggs are extremely difficult to find. The reason for that comes down to economics, which in turn is a function of the turkeys fertility cycle. For starters, turkeys lay up to 100 eggs per year, compared to up to 350 chicken eggs laid per year for top egg-laying chickens.
Moreover, turkeys are bigger and require more space and more food, which means its more expensive to raise turkeys. Turkeys also take longer to start laying eggs, beginning at around 28 weeks of age as opposed to around 20 weeks for chickens. To put that in context, a turkey is ready for slaughter at 14 to 18 weeks, meaning it requires and additional 10 to 14 weeks of feeding before it ever lays a single egg. When the turkey does finally start laying, its at a rate of up to about two eggs per week, compared to almost one chicken egg a day for top egg-laying chickens.
Turkey Eggs vs. Chicken Eggs
Turkey and chicken eggs share some similarities but are also very different from each other. Turkey eggs are quite a bit bigger than chicken eggs—more than 50 percent larger. Whereas a chicken egg weighs about 50 grams, a turkey egg can range from about 65 to 115 grams but is typically similar in size to the size of duck eggs.
When it comes to taste, its generally agreed that these two types of eggs taste about the same, although turkey eggs are often described as being creamier. The membrane between the turkey eggshell and egg is thicker, as is the eggshell itself, which requires a sharp blow to crack. Turkey eggshells can be white, cream-colored, brown, or speckled.
One aspect that differentiates these eggs is the nutritional breakdown. A turkey egg provides almost double the calories, protein, and fat as a chicken egg, partly due to its larger size.
How many eggs do turkeys lay?
FAQ
How many eggs can a turkey lay in a day?
How many babies can turkeys have?
How many eggs can a turkey brood?
Will turkeys lay eggs without a male?
How many eggs does a turkey lay?
Usually, a female turkey will lay a clutch of 5-15 eggs in each production cycle. But, the size of the clutch depends on the turkey breed. Some breeds like the wild turkey can lay a clutch of 10 to 14 eggs, while the ocellated turkey can lay 8 to 15 eggs. In this article, you will learn more about turkeys, their eggs, and the poults.
How big are wild turkey eggs?
Wild turkey eggs range in size from about 59 x 45 mm to 68.5 x 46 mm. Abnormalities, such as smaller than average egg size, do occur. Egg shells are smooth, with a matte finish. Colors range from pale to buffy-white, marked with reddish-brown or light pink dots. How many eggs do Wild Turkeys lay? Wild Turkey hens typically lay 10-12 eggs.
How long does it take a Turkey to lay eggs?
Turkeys take time to lay a clutch of eggs before they can incubate them. A female turkey will lay 1 egg per day. It means she will require 14 days or 2 weeks to complete laying her clutch. Only then will the turkey go broody and sit on her eggs. Turkey eggs are large, but the female turkey is big enough to incubate her clutch completely.
Do turkeys lay more eggs than chickens?
Turkeys lay fewer eggs than chickens. Most chicken breeds lay about 300 eggs annually, while turkeys lay about 100 eggs within the same period. As such, most farmers think chickens are the better investment choice when keeping poultry to sell eggs, but turkey eggs fetch higher prices.