Laying eggs at 3 yrs old!!

[Len B]

Congratulations.

 

[Tim Carlisle]

Absolutely gorgeous!!!

 

[chin_lee]

OK seriously what are you feeding your torts to get them laying fertile eggs at 4 years? Thats insanely incredible!

 

[Elohi]

OK seriously what are you feeding your torts to get them laying fertile eggs at 4 years? Thats insanely incredible!

Lots of variety and access to grazing. I also feed Timothy grass pellets, chopped Bermuda hay and chopped orchard hay. Sometimes those fiber sources are mixed with Mazuri. I live in South Texas so they get lots of heat and lots of grazing, the majority of the year.
I expected my bigger young female, Beans, to lay kind of early because she is enormous, but was pleasantly surprised with Freckles, my also quite large but smaller of the two young females started laying first, back in June. She is actually nesting now, gearing up to lay her 6th clutch of the year.

 

[chin_lee]

6th clutch? Wow..... how many eggs per clutch at this age? I wonder if it is detrimental to have that many clutches in a year?

 

[Ghazan]

Any plans to sell any of these hatchlings?

 

[Elohi]

Any plans to sell any of these hatchlings?

Yes, they are/will all be for sale.

 

[Elohi]

6th clutch? Wow..... how many eggs per clutch at this age? I wonder if it is detrimental to have that many clutches in a year?

She usually lays 8 per clutch. I think 6–8 clutches a year is pretty typical for a healthy adult.