I am very new to raising turkeys. How do I keep them from eating their eggs. Are they missing something in thier diet?

-- Carla Walker (c_walker62@hotmail.com), April 14, 2001

Answers

The only time we have had a problem with turkeys/chickens eating their eggs, they were lacking-I think calcium. We now give a small amount of oyster shell each feeding and have had no problems with any of the turkeys, chickens, ducks or geese eating any eggs. You can also break up egg shells, put them on your wood stove or in a oven at low heat, until crunchy-lightly toasted and feed that to them. The oyster shell cost around $5-$6 for a fifty pound bad and has lasted us a few months. We have a different assortment of around one-hundred birds

-- Diana(MO) (safehavenofhope@hotmail.com), April 14, 2001.

Diana is right - give them oyster shells, that will give them a high level source of calcium. Also - there should be enough calcium in the feed that you give them, have a look at the label and check if this is the right feed for turkeys. The hens can get a lack of calcium if they lay lots of eggs and don't get the right feed.

I heard one time that you have to slaughter the birds if they start to eat their own eggs because it is hard to break this habit.

Well, try to pick up the eggs as often as you can before they eat it and ensure that they have enough other calcium sources.

Good luck.

-- Bernd in NC (Bernd001@aol.com), April 16, 2001.

I give oyster shells, but the hens will peck at another hens eggs. Try seperating hens if that is the problem. Or incubate and grab the eggs as fast as you can!

-- Susan K. Lyons (slyons@pbtcomm.net), October 21, 2001.