# Turkey breeding ages



## Jeanette (Jul 29, 2008)

How old are turkeys when they are old enough to breed - both hens & jakes/toms?
I have an older tom that I don't really want to use for breeding. However I do have a nice up & coming jake that can replace him but I'm not sure if he is old enough at 4+ months to do his job this coming spring.
My youngest hen is about 8 months old.

Thanks for your input!

Jeanette
Texas


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## pfarms (Feb 3, 2013)

The first spring after hatching as a general rule of thumb. My youngest hen was 8 months in the spring and was laying.


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## pfarms (Feb 3, 2013)

Also, hens will lay for months if you take the eggs. So you can potentially hatch later in the year with the younger tom if you take the eggs til he is ready.


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## poultryprincess (Aug 9, 2002)

My "Ridley Bronze" turkey hen is 9 months old & I haven't seen an egg yet.
Is it different ages for various breeds? My 9 month old Tom seems ready?
Do you let them rear the young or is it best to remove them? Thanx


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

Turkeys are breeding age their first adult spring the year after they hatch, this can make them anywhere from a few months old to a whole year old before they start laying for the females, males will be ready to do the job not too much longer after they start really strutting and showing off, no reason to keep the old tom if you want to breed from the young one in the spring, the adult tom will take all the hens for his own and keep the young one from breeding simply because the hens will accept the mature dominant tom and not the jake if given the chance,


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## Copperhead (Sep 12, 2011)

My Jakes are about 9 months old (born in May). I caught one of them riding a hen last week. No eggs, yet . . .


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## Jennifer L. (May 10, 2002)

poultryprincess said:


> My "Ridley Bronze" turkey hen is 9 months old & I haven't seen an egg yet.
> Is it different ages for various breeds? My 9 month old Tom seems ready?
> Do you let them rear the young or is it best to remove them? Thanx


You'll see eggs from you hen by the end of the month for sure, and may see a few by mid month. That's what mine do here in Northern NYS. I'm less than 20 miles from Kingston, ON, for reference.


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