Thinking of calling it quits.

[retlaw]

You say gonna have to cull flock. Do you think its a genetic abnormalities in the adults causing the malpositioned poults and bad hatches.

Yes I do.

Because I never marked or separated the years before poults that I have helped hatch I believe that one of them or more must have made it to my breeding stock.
If I marked them as "butcher only" and separated them from being possible breeding stock then the malposition wouldn't or shouldn't be present.
It is hereditary after all.
I don't think its the tom because he was one of the largest in the flock that year but why should I take a chance on another year with him?

I was picking my breeding stock from colour patterning.
Good lesson here for others on what not to do.
And that is if you help them hatch then you must not breed them.

Even the two hens sitting right now can't fix the malposition eggs.

 

[retlaw]

Down to 2 from the last 24 eggs.

So my grand total this year is 6 live (so far) out of 107 eggs that were placed in the incubator.

What a waste of time and energy.
I am going to cult the flock this fall.
See how I feel in the spring.

 

[feedman77]

Sorry your gonna have to cull the flock. I know that's gonna be hard.

Hope you don't give up on turkeys totally.

 

[TattooedMama]

Down to 2 from the last 24 eggs.

So my grand total this year is 6 live (so far) out of 107 eggs that were placed in the incubator.

What a waste of time and energy.
I am going to cult the flock this fall.
See how I feel in the spring.

We all make mistakes sometimes when we are over eager and now you know at least, and have reminded us all, that selection is not just based off color or type but also not forget that vigor and health are paramount. Maybe a fresh start next year will be just what you need. Did you ever say what variety you were hatching? Maybe an individual variety issue or even lack of genetic diversity played a part.

 

[pepperpellets]

I have my first three turkeys. Learned a lot just reading through this whole thread. Sad to read about bad hatches. Are these incubator troubles typical for turkey eggs? (I've only incubated quail.)

 

[feedman77]

I have my first three turkeys. Learned a lot just reading through this whole thread. Sad to read about bad hatches. Are these incubator troubles typical for turkey eggs? (I've only incubated quail.)

My hatches have varied greatly.

My early losses were humidity problems I believe.
My later hatches had much better success. The only thing that changed greatly were ambient air temperature and relative humidity.

I think I was to dry early. Cant blame incubator as I was running 3 different types.

Welcome to turkeys. They are a blast. But can be frustrating.

 

[retlaw]

Up date on how the hens did.
One hatched out of over thirty eggs from 3 nests.
It lasted about 5 days and died today.
And one of the five from 107 eggs kicked the bucket last week also.

So from 107eggs I tried and over 30 the hens tried I have 4 alive.

 

[TattooedMama]

Up date on how the hens did.
One hatched out of over thirty eggs from 3 nests.
It lasted about 5 days and died today.
And one of the five from 107 eggs kicked the bucket last week also.

So from 107eggs I tried and over 30 the hens tried I have 4 alive.

My guess is that your problems are genetics related and have nothing to do with incubation. Maybe your birds are too closely related or were too closely inbred in previous years. I ave been hearing of others who have fertility issues with certain color varieties as well. I would bring in fresh blood for an outcross.

 

[retlaw]

My guess is that your problems are genetics related and have nothing to do with incubation. Maybe your birds are too closely related or were too closely inbred in previous years. I ave been hearing of others who have fertility issues with certain color varieties as well. I would bring in fresh blood for an outcross.

Yes they are but I think it is from putting poults into the breeding stock that were helped or assisted in hatching so the malpostion genetics are being passed down along with other unwanted genetics.
The breeding stock is already crossed so my thoughts are that inbreeding is not the problem.

There is a thread on this site about crested mutation and how the bird owner tried to breed it true and crossed every parent and offspring they could to try to get the mutation to reproduce with out success and it was stated that no issues of inbreeding arose.

Any way it happened the out come is going to be the same.
Cull the flock and start fresh.
Wasting another year is not an option when we only have so many trips around the sun.

 

[TattooedMama]

Yes they are but I think it is from putting poults into the breeding stock that were helped or assisted in hatching so the malpostion genetics are being passed down along with other unwanted genetics.
The breeding stock is already crossed so my thoughts are that inbreeding is not the problem.

There is a thread on this site about crested mutation and how the bird owner tried to breed it true and crossed every parent and offspring they could to try to get the mutation to reproduce with out success and it was stated that no issues of inbreeding arose.

Any way it happened the out come is going to be the same.
Cull the flock and start fresh.
Wasting another year is not an option when we only have so many trips around the sun.

I remember now reading about that when i first started following this thread. Definitely a warning lesson to others what a potential difference it can make. It is hard to lose birds, especially when they are expensive, much desired, etc but to try to save them all has bad effects on the breeding program long term. I will have to make note of this. For me, on the few occasions I have assisted those chicks had other issues and didn't make it past a few days. One I thought had spraddle leg, I taped its legs and it began to walk and do fine, until we realized a day or so later that it had NO VENT. I felt bad for making it drag on and not realizing sooner. Last time I let my kids and boyfriend turn me into a bleeding heart and make me help.

I agree, starting with fresh stock is the best bet at this point. Hopefully you have much better luck in the future!!