I have no control over when the birds lay and my breeding season starts when the birds say it does. I also don’t implement the use of artificial lighting to make the birds lay earlier or longer.

 

All nests are inspected daily and new eggs are dated. If a broody duck/turkey/goose doesn’t present herself, I collect the eggs (oldest first) and incubate.

 

In the case of the waterfowl, I strongly prefer the moms to hatch and raise their young. With the turkeys, I usually end up incubating the eggs myself.

 

Turkeys generally start laying in March and I test fertility shortly after receiving a decent-sized clutch. Turkeys continue to breed and lay into the fall, but I end my turkey season in the summer. *

 

Muscovy can lay year-round, even in winter. I end my Muscovy season right before fall in order to keep a low number of birds going into winter. *

 

Geese usually lay for brief periods, generally in the spring and summer.

 

* Note: This does not apply to anyone that’s reserved and put a deposit down for a specific color and number of hatchlings. In those cases, I will allow the birds to do as nature intended and update the prospective new owner as to the progress of the hatch(es).

 

For the poultry, I have an app that I use to track the incubation period from when a hen goes broody or when I put a batch of eggs into the incubator.  Feel free to contact me if there is a particular breed or color of bird you’re interested in acquiring and I can tell you when it is expected.