What triggers breeding?

[Boll Weevil]

How do wild and domestic turkeys differ in breeding and laying? Is it temperature, length of daylight, both, neither? Anyone know?

 

[megalomaniac]

Increasing length of days is the trigger causing toms testicle to enlarge, produce viable sperm, and the desire to mate.

Same thing for the hens to trigger ovulation and allow males to mate with them.

 

[woodsman04]

Length of day.

I'm a length of day screamer because so many people think it's weather. I will always stay on that mountain because like mega says light increases is what makes their sex organs start working.

But…. In 2012, we had the earliest spring green up and warmest temperatures maybe ever, and that season was different and it made me believe that their could be something else with it, as far as ground temperatures for incubation and vegetation available to nest in.

That being said, length of day starts the process and decrease in day length takes them out of breeding mode and they go through a molt. Gobbler testicles are then the size of a black eyed pea instead of pecan like March and April.

 

[PalsPal]

I'm sure that length of day is the main factor, BUT there is a noticeable delay by a week or so with birds on the plateau. It has always been that way, so there are other factors as well, unless somehow elevated areas get less daylight. I don't think so.

I assume that it has the same determining factor as greenup in the spring. You can be on the interstate at Cookeville and see the leaves starting to pop, and then ascend Monterey mountain. When you get to the top, nothing more than buds, maybe. So, it may be temperature or something else.

BUT, it isn't solely length of daylight as many have preached for years.

 

[megalomaniac]

I'm sure that length of day is the main factor, BUT there is a noticeable delay by a week or so with birds on the plateau. It has always been that way, so there are other factors as well, unless somehow elevated areas get less daylight. I don't think so.

I assume that it has the same determining factor as greenup in the spring. You can be on the interstate at Cookeville and see the leaves starting to pop, and then ascend Monterey mountain. When you get to the top, nothing more than buds, maybe. So, it may be temperature or something else.

BUT, it isn't solely length of daylight as many have preached for years.

Sure it's lenght of day, and nothing more. That doesn't mean all turkeys across the US breed with the same length of day... but a given population will average nest initiation the same time every year (which suits the poults best chance for survival) based solely on length of day.

Just like a deer rut. Not all localized populations have the same time of rut as a different localized population, but that particular locations rut timing is determined by photoperiod.

Birds in east TN are just programmed to start breeding with a bit longer day length than those in middle TN, probably because of the colder temps ensure more poults survive if hens initiate nests a bit later.