A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[memphis]

Oh good Feedman!! Was concerned when I noticed tornado damage!

 

[Tuhmu]

Hello turkey people! So I have a bourbon red, (my first turkey)....so everything she does is new to me. She's very friendly and thinks she's a chicken (solo turkey part).

For the last couple weeks, she's been hinting heavily that she wants a tom, she got to the point that, anything that happened to walk by she "wanted". She uses my nest boxes, which are fortunately large enough for her. Laid an egg everyday, one day two (not joking! i was in the coop almost all day doing remodeling and she definitely laid two eggs!)

Any who, turns out she is now broody in the nest boxes right along side my broody brahma who is sitting on 7 ancona duck eggs. They each have their own slot, but the turkey is sitting on golf balls.......

My question is, how good of mothers do they make? I of course don't have access to turkey eggs unless I ordered some (which from past experience getting turkey eggs, is a very low chick chance) but do have plenty of chicken and duck eggs. Would she be an ok mother to say, chicken eggs....ducklings? I do have turkey poults coming early may that I could try giving her I suppose? Seems like a long wait, but I guess that is about what the turkey egg incubation is.

Or just start kicking her off the nest too I guess, she does try and take over the broody hens nest (will sometimes sit on top of her, much to the hens displeasure...sure you can all picture it) which is why I'm slightly leary of giving her her own eggs.

She's super friendly, hasn't abandoned the nest and doesn't show much concern when I reach under her to snag any eggs the chickens try to donate to her cause everyday, other than making a kind of huffing noise. Unlike the velociraptor she has for a neighbor.....

 

[Finnie]

Oh, 7:43 is now, pretty much.

Nope, pretty much and hour from now......

 

[ScottishKate]

I use to set eggs in the turntables for the foamies when I stored them but I only have 4 turntables and they do not hold enough eggs.  So now I just put them in cartons and move them when I think about it. I have not noticed much difference in the hatch rate.

I set eggs every week. The longest they would sit is 9 days. If I am switching hatching from Thursday to Sunday. 

Kate are you from Scotland or of Scottish descent?  Turkeys are by far the coolest poultry around.

I'm from Scotland

 

[Bantambird]

Hello turkey people! So I have a bourbon red, (my first turkey)....so everything she does is new to me. She's very friendly and thinks she's a chicken (solo turkey part).

For the last couple weeks, she's been hinting heavily that she wants a tom, she got to the point that, anything that happened to walk by she "wanted". She uses my nest boxes, which are fortunately large enough for her. Laid an egg everyday, one day two (not joking! i was in the coop almost all day doing remodeling and she definitely laid two eggs!)

Any who, turns out she is now broody in the nest boxes right along side my broody brahma who is sitting on 7 ancona duck eggs. They each have their own slot, but the turkey is sitting on golf balls.......

My question is, how good of mothers do they make? I of course don't have access to turkey eggs unless I ordered some (which from past experience getting turkey eggs, is a very low chick chance) but do have plenty of chicken and duck eggs. Would she be an ok mother to say, chicken eggs....ducklings? I do have turkey poults coming early may that I could try giving her I suppose? Seems like a long wait, but I guess that is about what the turkey egg incubation is.

Or just start kicking her off the nest too I guess, she does try and take over the broody hens nest (will sometimes sit on top of her, much to the hens displeasure...sure you can all picture it) which is why I'm slightly leary of giving her her own eggs.

She's super friendly, hasn't abandoned the nest and doesn't show much concern when I reach under her to snag any eggs the chickens try to donate to her cause everyday, other than making a kind of huffing noise. Unlike the velociraptor she has for a neighbor.....

I've let turkey hens set eggs before with good results, but first time turkey mommas are typically clumsy. They get better with experience, based on my hens.

 

[duluthralphie]

Hello turkey people! So I have a bourbon red, (my first turkey)....so everything she does is new to me. She's very friendly and thinks she's a chicken (solo turkey part).

For the last couple weeks, she's been hinting heavily that she wants a tom, she got to the point that, anything that happened to walk by she "wanted". She uses my nest boxes, which are fortunately large enough for her. Laid an egg everyday, one day two (not joking! i was in the coop almost all day doing remodeling and she definitely laid two eggs!)

Any who, turns out she is now broody in the nest boxes right along side my broody brahma who is sitting on 7 ancona duck eggs. They each have their own slot, but the turkey is sitting on golf balls.......

My question is, how good of mothers do they make? I of course don't have access to turkey eggs unless I ordered some (which from past experience getting turkey eggs, is a very low chick chance) but do have plenty of chicken and duck eggs. Would she be an ok mother to say, chicken eggs....ducklings? I do have turkey poults coming early may that I could try giving her I suppose? Seems like a long wait, but I guess that is about what the turkey egg incubation is.

Or just start kicking her off the nest too I guess, she does try and take over the broody hens nest (will sometimes sit on top of her, much to the hens displeasure...sure you can all picture it) which is why I'm slightly leary of giving her her own eggs.

She's super friendly, hasn't abandoned the nest and doesn't show much concern when I reach under her to snag any eggs the chickens try to donate to her cause everyday, other than making a kind of huffing noise. Unlike the velociraptor she has for a neighbor.....

I give mine chicken eggs to sit on often. They can be clumsy the first go around, BUT they make excellent mothers and nothing messes with their chicks.

I let the young ones practice on chickens as they are less valuable than turkey poults are,

 

[dheltzel]

I give mine chicken eggs to sit on often. They can be clumsy the first go around, BUT they make excellent mothers and nothing messes with their chicks.

I let the young ones practice on chickens as they are less valuable than turkey poults are,

When I tried that, the turkey hen smashed all the chicken eggs in short order. Maybe I'll try some duck eggs if I get a broody turkey this year.

 

[duluthralphie]

When I tried that, the turkey hen smashed all the chicken eggs in short order. Maybe I'll try some duck eggs if I get a broody turkey this year.

Oh sure, now that you mention it, I will have it happen. It has never been a problem here,,,

Maybe it is because I sing to my turkey eggs before they hatch that they become gentler and better mothers.

 

[dheltzel]

Oh sure, now that you mention it, I will have it happen. It has never been a problem here,,,

Maybe it is because I sing to my turkey eggs before they hatch that they become gentler and better mothers.

What do you sing to them, Fleetwood Mac? Because I got to tell you, AC/DC does not make for well adjusted poults. Some of them still keep their distance from me.

 

[duluthralphie]

I sing any one of my old Beau's hit songs. Eileen is such a good singer....Of course, I never sing them during the periods when there are active restraining orders in force...