For wild turkeys the arrival of spring marks the start of the breeding and nesting season. This begins an approximately two-month cycle during which hens lay and incubate eggs culminating in the hatching of adorable, fluffy poult chicks. But exactly when do those turkey eggs hatch after being laid? Let’s take a closer look at the turkey nesting timeline.
Mating Season Kicks Off the Process
The breeding season commences in early spring when male turkeys, known as toms, begin competing for female turkeys (hens) through elaborate displays of plumage, vocalizations, and strutting. Once a tom has successfully mated with a hen, his biological role in reproduction is complete.
Now the hen must lay and incubate the fertilized eggs until hatching. The timing of this nesting process hinges on when mating occurred, as hens can store viable sperm for up to a month before laying eggs
Nest Site Selection and Egg Laying
After mating, the hen searches for a suitable nesting spot, ideally with dense vegetation for concealment nearby an open area that will later provide food for her hatchlings. Over approximately 10-14 days, the hen lays a clutch of 10-12 eggs, depositing 1 egg every 1-2 days.
She carefully leaves the nest to feed between layings to build up reserves for the upcoming incubation. Once the last egg is laid, full-time incubation duty begins.
Full-Time Incubation Lasts 26-28 Days
When the clutch is complete, the hen fully commits to incubating her eggs, leaving the nest only briefly once or twice a day to eat and drink. She sits very still and rotates the eggs several times a day. This continuous incubation provides the consistent warmth the developing embryos require.
The incubation period lasts approximately 26-28 days from the laying of the final egg until hatching. Since hens lay an egg every 1-2 days, this means the first eggs laid will incubate for up to 28 days before hatching, while the last eggs laid will incubate for only 26 days.
Synchronized Hatching After Incubation
Remarkably, even though the eggs were laid over a 10+ day period, the staggered start times of incubation lead to synchronized hatching of the clutch after 26-28 days. It’s as if the eggs “know” to delay development until the rest of the clutch is complete and true incubation begins.
By hatching together, all the poults will be equally developed and able to leave the nest shortly after hatching to follow their mother for food and protection.
What If a Nest Fails? Renesting is Possible
Wild turkey nests face threats from predators and bad weather. If a hen loses her eggs early in incubation, she can often re-lay and re-nest that season since toms remain fertile for weeks after mating. Hens will renest until raising a brood is successful or the season ends.
Hatching Leads to a Fluffy Poult Brood
After 26-28 days of patient incubation, the reward finally arrives when the eggs begin pipping and hatching. The hen continues brooding her clutch through the 12-24 hours it takes for all poults to fully hatch and fluff out.
Once dried and strong enough, the poults leave the nest as a brood to search for food behind their watchful mother. The survival journey of these tiny birds has just begun. But thanks to the dedicated nesting process of wild turkey hens, a new generation takes flight each spring.
Breed first, nest later
Copulation or breeding must first take place for hens to produce fertile eggs.
The timing of breeding is determined by the female turkey and researchers are now learning that physical conditioning may have a greater influence on reproduction. Reserachers believe a hen is not suited to take on the rigors of nesting unless physically in a condition to do so. Therefore, poor conditioning caused by poor nutrition can be blamed for late nesting.
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. The rest of her time will be spent elsewhere feeding and roosting.
At the end of the laying period, incubation starts. During this time, the hen puts herself in danger to stay on the nest day and night for about 28 days. She needs to bulk up prior to nesting and may take a brief recess period around mid-day to feed on protein-packed insects.
Nesting on the ground is a risky business. Each day is full of danger and brings a new challenge for a nesting hen, which is what makes their feat so impressive.
Poults are extremely susceptible to weather and predators in the first four weeks after they hatch. If they make it past that point, the production is considered a success. It’s important for enough young turkeys to be produced that offset the annual loss, so populations remain sustainable.
Why Don’t We Eat Turkey Eggs!
FAQ
What month do wild turkeys have babies?
Do wild turkey hens sit on their eggs at night?
Do wild turkey eggs hatch at the same time?
Do wild turkeys leave their eggs?
How long do wild turkeys lay eggs?
Wild turkeys nest for about 28 days, from the time the last egg is laid to when the poults hatch. Once hatched, the female remains on the nest for another two weeks, until her young can fly. After this period, hens and chicks roost in trees at night. What month do Wild Turkeys lay eggs? The timing of egg laying largely depends on the region.
How long does it take a Turkey to hatch?
Turkeys have an incubation period of about 26 days. Hatching begins with pipping. Pipping is when the poult uses is egg tooth (hard, sharp spike on the upper beak) to break the shell. The pipping poults rotate in the egg to make a complete break around the large end of the egg. Hatching takes about 24 hours.
How long do hens incubate turkey eggs?
Hens incubate them for about 28 days, and baby turkeys, called poults, leave the nest in the first 24 hours. Hatching wild turkey eggs in captivity is a very different process. Before you can hatch wild turkey eggs, you obviously have to find some first.
When do wild turkeys hatch?
The cycle is complete with the hatching of poults by June or as late as mid-summer farther north. Birds that renest may bring off broods as late as August. The reproductive cycle for the Florida wild turkey begins only slightly earlier than for the eastern wild turkey in other southern states.