2 of my free-range turkey hens have hatched some chicks this week!! They're all so cute! One hatched 4 eggs only, but the other hatched 8 out of 12 eggs sitting in a wheelbarrow on my porch all month. All the babies are doing great, eating and drinking...
I put both tiny families out in a pen made out of an old trampoline (idea from BYC forum). It worked well until one henmom started beating on the other henmom and stealing her chicks (I mean who needs 12 chicks!). So today I put 4 bales of hay down the middle to separate the pen in half and things have calmed down. The tom is just hanging around the outside of the pen displaying all day. He's been really lonely without his girls!
Just wanted to share the good news. I'm interested to see if their mortality rate will be much less than hatchery chicks raised without momma. I'm thinking yup, but it will be a good test. Plus, momma does all the heating etc., so I don't have to do all that extra work!
One more observation -- I noticed the turkey mommas know who their chicks are, but the chicks tended to dive under whichever momma was nearest. Does anyone know if mothers and chicks bond and know who is who?
I put both tiny families out in a pen made out of an old trampoline (idea from BYC forum). It worked well until one henmom started beating on the other henmom and stealing her chicks (I mean who needs 12 chicks!). So today I put 4 bales of hay down the middle to separate the pen in half and things have calmed down. The tom is just hanging around the outside of the pen displaying all day. He's been really lonely without his girls!
Just wanted to share the good news. I'm interested to see if their mortality rate will be much less than hatchery chicks raised without momma. I'm thinking yup, but it will be a good test. Plus, momma does all the heating etc., so I don't have to do all that extra work!
One more observation -- I noticed the turkey mommas know who their chicks are, but the chicks tended to dive under whichever momma was nearest. Does anyone know if mothers and chicks bond and know who is who?
Last edited: