Browning Farm
Hatching
I have two mixed heritage breed hens and one tom. This is their first year to breed and hatch. My first year with turkeys too. The one hen sat on her eggs diligently for the whole time. She laid 16 eggs. The last two weeks the other hen joined her. The other hen never layed any eggs but seemed to be helping out. I was told to just let them be. Out of all the eggs I only have 4 babies alive. The nanny hen was sitting on the eggs and had 3 poults still half way in the shell but dead for whatever reason they didn't make it the rest of the way out. The momma hen moved the new poults to a different nesting box. The nanny hen joined her and is climbing all over the momma. So far I have found a dead poult everyday squished in the spot where the nanny hen was laying. Today I had enough and put her out with the tom because I didn't want to lose any more babies. Now I feel bad. Is that the right thing to do? She is upset. I'm positive none of the eggs/poults are her because I marked them. I'm down to 4 poults from 10 and don't want to lose any more. Thank you for your help!!