Without a doubt, raising turkeys for profit is proving to be worthwhile. In fact, more and more small farms are trying to accommodate turkey farming into their repertoire. However, professional turkey breeders these days also find that there is a thriving market for fertilized eggs or hatchlings. These are usually shipped over to grow-out farms or households who want to raise turkeys as pets. If you are indeed looking for such providers, or you plan to become a turkey breeder yourself, here are some things you need to consider.

1. In order to ensure that you get quality eggs or hatchlings that are free from genetic flaws or parasites, try checking up on the breeders' professional affiliations. In the US, The American Wild Turkey Foundation and the Wild Turkey Federation are the two organizations that provide their seals of approval to turkey breeders who sell quality produce.

2. If there is a turkey breeder nearby, you might want to personally visit their farms to see if the birds are being taken care of accordingly or living in squalor. Needless to say, you might not want to patronize the latter as the birds you order in might be suffering from intestinal worms or external parasites.

3. Most turkey breeders sell only fertilized eggs (which you will have to put in your incubator for brooding) or newly hatched chicks that are usually less than 5 days old. However, there are a few breeders who sell older birds simply because there are people who request for them.

One thing you have to remember is that turkeys reach their sexual maturity at the age of 7 months and would be fertile only for the next 6 months. So if you are planning on getting a breeding hen or tom, make sure that the bird is around 3 months to 5 months only. However, the best way to really ascertain the age of the turkey is to monitor its growth from the moment it hatches. Therefore, it is more advisable to buy birds as eggs or hatchlings.