Orphaned turkey eggs

[karmlacres]

I put some orphaned turkey eggs found on our farm into the incubator and they seem to all be fertilized. I'm just wondering if there is anything I need to know for the hatch (humidity???) and beyond. Anything about feeding them? I was thinking maybe they'd be dinner come the fall.... or I may just release them back into the wild. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Mr_Jeff]

I don't know where you are, but it is generally illegal to posses wild turkey eggs. If you hatch, raise, kill, and eat them it is the same as poaching.

 

[Steph Martin]

Hi. I've raised turkeys before and the temperature and humidity in the incubator is the same as for chickens. It takes 28 days for poults (but you probably already know that). Some people say to put in chicken eggs a week after the poults in order for the chicks to teach the poults to eat and drink but that's, in my humble opinion, unnecessary PLUS I was frightened of blackhead disease. Most people think turkeys are very stupid and they may be but I throughly enjoyed them. Like chicks, just to put your mind at ease, dip their beaks in water and food after 24 hours. I used poult starter and grower but they may do well on chick stuff (not sure on that). Also, I kept my five turkeys in an enclosed and raised pen and they got to 35 pounds in 4 to 5 months. The old guy that processed them could NOT believe how old they were. The method was to keep them from getting too much exercise (which I find kinda mean) but the finished product was outstanding and I treated them like royalty for their short time with us.

I wish you the best of luck with your birds.