The number of young a turkey produces, known as poults, depends heavily on whether the bird is wild or domestic. Wild turkeys, the most common context, lay eggs in a seasonal cycle, and the survival rate of the young is highly variable. The reproductive cycle involves distinct stages: egg laying (clutch size), incubation, and raising the hatchlings. The offspring are called “poults,” and the entire batch of eggs laid at one time is called a “clutch.”
The Typical Clutch Size
A wild turkey hen typically lays a clutch of eggs ranging from 10 to 12, though this number can sometimes be as wide as 4 to 18 eggs in a single nest. She will lay one egg approximately every 24 to 32 hours, taking about two weeks to complete the full clutch before beginning incubation.
Clutch size is influenced by the hen’s age and physical condition; older, healthier adult hens are more likely to lay a larger clutch than younger, yearling hens. Nutritional status and resource availability also play a role in determining egg production.
If a hen has to re-nest after her first clutch is destroyed or abandoned, the subsequent clutch is usually smaller, averaging around seven eggs. This initial number represents the potential maximum number of poults the hen will produce in a successful nesting attempt.
Reproductive Timing and Incubation
The turkey reproductive cycle begins in the spring, triggered by increasing daylight stimulating hormonal changes in both sexes. After mating, the hen locates a well-hidden ground nest site, often in dense vegetation that offers cover. She lays her eggs over a period of 10 to 14 days.
The hen delays starting the incubation process until the entire clutch has been laid, which ensures that all the poults hatch synchronously. Once the clutch is complete, the hen begins continuous incubation, sitting on the eggs day and night, only taking short breaks to feed.
The incubation period lasts approximately 26 to 28 days, a time when the hen is highly vulnerable to predators. She maintains constant commitment to the nest, turning the eggs about once an hour for even heating.
Poult Survival and Brooding Behavior
Although the initial number of eggs is high, the number of turkeys surviving to adulthood is significantly lower due to high mortality in the first few weeks. The greatest threats to newly hatched poults are cold, wet weather and predation. Poults can walk shortly after hatching but cannot fly, making them vulnerable on the ground.
The mother hen protects her offspring by leading them to brood habitat with low, dense herbaceous cover and abundant insects. This vegetation provides overhead protection from avian predators while allowing the poults to forage for the high-protein diet required for rapid growth.
The protein-rich diet is essential for developing flight feathers, which allows poults to fly short distances and roost in trees by about two weeks of age. Predation by mammals like raccoons, skunks, and foxes accounts for the loss of many nests and young poults.
The first two to three weeks are the most challenging period for survival; poults that survive past six weeks have a much greater chance of reaching maturity. They stay closely associated with their mother throughout the summer and fall, achieving independence when they join larger, mixed-age winter flocks.
Differences Between Wild and Domestic Turkey Reproduction
The reproductive patterns of wild turkeys contrast with those of domestic turkeys, particularly commercial varieties raised for meat production. Wild hens are seasonal breeders, typically attempting one clutch per year, though they may re-nest if the first attempt fails early. Wild reproduction is tied directly to natural cycles and environmental conditions.
Domestic turkeys, especially the broad-breasted white variety, have been selectively bred to maximize meat yield, altering their reproductive capabilities. These commercial strains have lost the natural instinct to incubate eggs and are often physically too large to mate naturally.
Their eggs are typically hatched through artificial incubation. The commercial industry relies on continuous, high egg production, with eggs collected for artificial hatching rather than being raised by the mother hen.