Mixed flock shared nest

[Bolfreak]

Trying to make the long story a shorter one…I have a mixed flock of heritage turkeys, various ages and geese and ducks that are the same age. 8 month old turkey hen started laying about 2 months ago, but as of about a month has been laying inside the duck nest. Two Cayuga ducks lay in there, one fertile one not because the drake only likes the one duck for mating. The geese have not begun mating or laying yet.
For about three days now, the turkey hen wants to sit the nest which is 14-16 duck eggs. I remove the turkey eggs and the infertile duck ones unless the nest is occupied. Being her first time, the hen has been mostly committed but has come off the nest a few times to range with the turkeys or has been ranging and goes back to the nest. Overall, the turkey sits during the day and roosts at night, while the duck sits it overnight. The turkey is top dog, so she does what she wants, the geese/ducks give her a berth even when not near the nest.
I was leaving the eggs to see if a duck would brood and because it was the only way the ducks wouldn’t lay eggs wherever inspiration strikes and make me hunt them every day. Turkey mom raising ducklings is best case because she’s so bossy, but she is young and inexperienced.
Is it even feasible the eggs will be incubated enough with the trading off? And then who will claim the babies? lol…
Plenty of threads about shared nests but not inter-species nests TIA
Here’s Bob having taken over Fort Duckie

 

[Debbie292d]

Technically, they all could sit on the eggs, but you would have a little dilemma as to who is going to be the mother. A turkey being a mother to a clutch of ducks isn't going to work so well especially if you have a water source for the ducks that the turkey will not take them to. What if you put the nest elsewhere in a pen with the ducks and see if one of them would now take over without the threat of the turkey? They perhaps would if given the chance.

 

[Bolfreak]

Technically, they all could sit on the eggs, but you would have a little dilemma as to who is going to be the mother. A turkey being a mother to a clutch of ducks isn't going to work so well especially if you have a water source for the ducks that the turkey will not take them to. What if you put the nest elsewhere in a pen with the ducks and see if one of them would now take over without the threat of the turkey? They perhaps would if given the chance.

A duck taking turkey babies into the water would be awful lol, but I always separate mom and babies where they can see but not interact, own food and water in shallow dishes until they grow. I couldn’t keep my day old ducks or geese out of their water dish! I use one of those no tip dog bowls inside a wider dish and that contains the mess some. Turkeys are so much tidier than waterfowl! Lol.
She has been on the nest all afternoon and tonight refused to budge. It’s inside the duck stall, if she wants to, she can fly in and out even with the stall closed. She had been still laying her own egg every other day, but I didn’t mess with her tonight to check. I guess if she’s committed we’ll see what happens…I prefer to let nature do the work as much as possible.

 

[Yardmom]

I'm not sure about turkeys, but I've heard some mother chickens get upset at their ducklings for playing in the water.

 

[Bolfreak]

I'm not sure about turkeys, but I've heard some mother chickens get upset at their ducklings for playing in the water.

This is Bob herself growing up alongside the waterfowl. Her mom was sitting on another clutch at this point. The ducks used to bully her, but she’s big now and doesn’t take any guff.
My turkeys like to stand in and scratch at the water, but in the summer when it’s miserable. I’ve never seen the adults do anything other than drink from the pool, but I did see Bob fall or get in once
Do you think a chicken mom would get stressed with babies in the water?

 

[NatJ]

I was leaving the eggs to see if a duck would brood and because it was the only way the ducks wouldn’t lay eggs wherever inspiration strikes and make me hunt them every day.

Did you try putting fake eggs in the nest instead of real ones?

For future, that might keep the ducks laying in the same place, while giving you better control over whether eggs are getting incubated (you could keep the eggs safely in your house, then put them back only if there was a broody you trusted.)

 

[Bolfreak]

Did you try putting fake eggs in the nest instead of real ones?

For future, that might keep the ducks laying in the same place, while giving you better control over whether eggs are getting incubated (you could keep the eggs safely in your house, then put them back only if there was a broody you trusted.)

She’s been super committed now, I’ve only seen her get off the nest twice while I’m cleaning/feeding. This results in a barn-clearing brawl amongst the turkeys that even my gander stays out of. I’m not sure if it’s reestablishing pecking order because they haven’t seen her in days, but it’s intense.
My plan is to candle the eggs tonight or tomorrow to check development and throw out clear ones or sloshy ones. Once things start hatching, I’m going to move them out of the duck stall into a separate meshed in box in the barn. Turkeys will be able to see eachother, but not touch. Ducklings will go up for sale immediately and I will let her raise up poults if her 2 eggs hatch. I’ll update pics later.

 

[Bolfreak]

Egg candling Sunday, ended up removing six eggs including the two turkey ones for no development. I cracked them all open later and correct, not even veins. I got pics from video, the ones that were developing were moving! It was neat to see. I’m not sure how many days are left.

 

[Bolfreak]

This morning she hopped off the nest to eat, but was only gone about ten minutes compared to the usual 20+. Seven are left over. I also don’t hear any peeping or her making noises beyond hissing and chortling at me for being too close.

 

[Bolfreak]

Had to use a horse whip as a shield to check under her, but I saw some black fluff!! One so far, I put it back under her and see if tomorrow morning some of the rest hatch
Naming this batch after pirate ships…this little one is The Intrepid