Livestock Health & Management

Information you need but haven’t known where to ask

there anything we can do to boost his performance and the viability of any poults?

Our whole family says a big thank you.

Jane, Steve & Family, K ANGAR oo V ALLE y, NSW.

Henry’s good health suggests he’s probably fine to carry out conjugal rights with the hens provided there aren’t too many to service. You may need to encourage him to pace himself by ensuring he’s not tasked with mating several hens on the one day. Confine him with one hen that is crouching for him and relocate other hens to a nearby yard. If they too decide to crouch, restriction to one hen daily should allow semen production to keep up with his mating. Having to service several within hours may be too demanding, leading to poor quality semen.

Boost fertility by putting all the turkeys on a breeder ration, starting a couple of weeks before you estimate hens will be interested in mating.

Alternatively, try a water based breeding supplement like

Bellbreeder from Bellsouth Poultry Equipment, ph: 03-8787-8189. Dust Henry too with a product like Pestene or sulphur powder to ensure he is free of ectoparasites as the presence of these can affect fertility.

With regard to a new young gobbler, there are likely to be terrible fights and the males will become more interested in controlling each other than in courting and mating. You may be better waiting until the hormone levels have dropped near Christmas or run two little flocks so each male has a hen or two. Turkeys can be bloody minded and nasty during the breeding season.

Hens usually lay two clutches, several months apart; this will allow time for the girls to set and hopefully hatch young. If no poults appear, scrutinise the broken out yolk for signs of a fertile germinal disc. Premature death may be occurring. This might be when you think seriously of obtaining a new gobbler so hens are mated and hopefully lay viable fertile eggs for the second clutch, usually around early December or late January, depending on geographic location. T

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