2 turkey hens on same nest

[Aprilxoxo]

Hi everyone i have 2 turkey hens and one went broody. I got her some chicken eggs and everything has been perfectly fine but now my other hen has decided she wants to "help".

At first she would go in when the broody went out to eat and stretch but now shes scooching into the same nest box next to broody. She originally only stayed for a few hours but lately shes been in there for long periods of time. She was still laying eggs in there (they have another nest box but apparently this one is the bees knees).

So i thought at first she was just being stubbon and just laying eggs, but i legit just witnessed her pop her head under broody and roll an egg out and then put under her

The hens are getting along so far and the eggs have not been in the slightest bit of harm but im worried about when they hatch. im worried they might fight over the chicks. I know this can work out with chickens but what about turkeys?

 

[aart]

I assume you are removing any turkey eggs laid in the broody nest?

 

[Aprilxoxo]

I assume you are removing any turkey eggs laid in the broody nest?

Yes

 

[Molpet]

Some of mine get along fine co-brooding. Others break eggs. Sometimes one takes the hatchlings and the other stays on eggs that didn't hatch.
There can be problems with birds raised by different species.
The young and hen get confused. Sometimes as adults, they seem to think they can mate with the other species. Which doesn't work out well.


Sometimes the hen rejects a different species. I have had 2 turkey hens that abandon day old chicks. But most don't care what hatched.

I have a group of 5 turkeys that hatched poults along with a half dz chicks that the chickens snuck in. They all stayed together until about 6 weeks and the hens started driving the chicks off. At 14 wks they still have the poults by them.

 

[Aprilxoxo]

Some of mine get along fine co-brooding. Others break eggs. Sometimes one takes the hatchlings and the other stays on eggs that didn't hatch.
There can be problems with birds raised by different species.
The young and hen get confused. Sometimes as adults, they seem to think they can mate with the other species. Which doesn't work out well.


Sometimes the hen rejects a different species. I have had 2 turkey hens that abandon day old chicks. But most don't care what hatched.

I have a group of 5 turkeys that hatched poults along with a half dz chicks that the chickens snuck in. They all stayed together until about 6 weeks and the hens started driving the chicks off. At 14 wks they still have the poults by them.

Thank you this helps me to know what i can expect. Did they ever try kill the chicks intentionally when they rejected them?

 

[Molpet]

Thank you this helps me to know what i can expect. Did they ever try kill the chicks intentionally when they rejected them?

I have one turkey, out of around 30 I have had the last few years, that seems to be intentionally killing chicks as they hatch.
Her nest this spring was in the poultry yard and a oppossum found it. She went into the coop and took over a chicken nest. I found a dead chick and a just hatched when she went to dust bath.
I gave the live to another turkey whose eggs zipped and died. Same thing happened last year. Both years this hen took a chick and raises them.
The bad mom took over another nest and this time I found a dead chick and she was attacking another. I gave the live, a pipped and 2 others ready to hatch to a chicken hen. When the chicken took her brood by the sitting turkey, the live ran up to the turkey that hatched him. That turkey grabbed the chick and flung it around like a mouse as I was running up. Chick was ok and hasn't gone near the turkey again. Stupid me haven't removed her yet and she is on more chicken eggs.

 

[R2elk]

That turkey grabbed the chick and flung it around like a mouse as I was running up. Chick was ok and hasn't gone near the turkey again. Stupid me haven't removed her yet and she is on more chicken eggs.

You know how I cure those kinds of problems. Of course I never let a turkey have chicken eggs to hatch in the first place.

 

[Aprilxoxo]

I have one turkey, out of around 30 I have had the last few years, that seems to be intentionally killing chicks as they hatch.
Her nest this spring was in the poultry yard and a oppossum found it. She went into the coop and took over a chicken nest. I found a dead chick and a just hatched when she went to dust bath.
I gave the live to another turkey whose eggs zipped and died. Same thing happened last year. Both years this hen took a chick and raises them.
The bad mom took over another nest and this time I found a dead chick and she was attacking another. I gave the live, a pipped and 2 others ready to hatch to a chicken hen. When the chicken took her brood by the sitting turkey, the live ran up to the turkey that hatched him. That turkey grabbed the chick and flung it around like a mouse as I was running up. Chick was ok and hasn't gone near the turkey again. Stupid me haven't removed her yet and she is on more chicken eggs.

Im sorry about the chicks but its Good to know it seems to be a personality thing rather then a species thing. I will be keeping my eyes on both my hens to make sure they dont hurt the chicks. I have a brooding set up just incase i have to take them away.

 

[Molpet]

You know how I cure those kinds of problems. Of course I never let a turkey have chicken eggs to hatch in the first place.

Yeah I think I should use your cure. Don't want to sell her to someone even with telling them her issue.
Keeping chickens with the turkeys has it's problems.

 

[Aprilxoxo]

some chicks hatched now and i can only see 1 unhatched egg out of 5 but the hens will not let me near nest so i cant find out how many chicks there are
i got a video of at least 2 of the chicks