- Jun 6, 2013
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My hatching-fiend turkey hen sat her first clutch of the year. 12 of 14 eggs have made it to hatch... kind of...
She went broody and I put eggs under her April 2nd. (I collect and store until they're ready to sit). She was technically due to hatch them April 29/30-ish. I've been fussing with the eggs and nest this last week, checking for poults almost daily.
I just candled again tonight, convinced I'd have to throw them all away; a few of the eggs look marginally iffy but don't smell- they're not obviously dead 'yet'. Others clearly have pulses and moving embryos. If I had to guess strictly by candling, I would otherwise guess they were about 5 days from hatch based on development.
But how is this possible? She's a sit-aholic and virtually doesn't leave the nest when she's broody. If she does, she's back on it in 5 minutes flat. She's a wonderful broody! I'm completely perplexed. There's no chance of eggs having been added to the nest and there have been no incubation upsets. My other broody turkey hatches have all had excellent and predictable hatch rates/times. Thoughts?
She went broody and I put eggs under her April 2nd. (I collect and store until they're ready to sit). She was technically due to hatch them April 29/30-ish. I've been fussing with the eggs and nest this last week, checking for poults almost daily.
I just candled again tonight, convinced I'd have to throw them all away; a few of the eggs look marginally iffy but don't smell- they're not obviously dead 'yet'. Others clearly have pulses and moving embryos. If I had to guess strictly by candling, I would otherwise guess they were about 5 days from hatch based on development.
But how is this possible? She's a sit-aholic and virtually doesn't leave the nest when she's broody. If she does, she's back on it in 5 minutes flat. She's a wonderful broody! I'm completely perplexed. There's no chance of eggs having been added to the nest and there have been no incubation upsets. My other broody turkey hatches have all had excellent and predictable hatch rates/times. Thoughts?
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