A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[R2elk]

I caught both hens off of the shared nest this morning and gathered the eggs for candling. There are two viable eggs that were added late and may have a week or more to go. All the other eggs were either rotten or late quitters.

The wild hen was waiting for me when I returned the last two eggs and was begging for them.

 

[turkey girl 0964]

I caught both hens off of the shared nest this morning and gathered the eggs for candling. There are two viable eggs that were added late and may have a week or more to go. All the other eggs were either rotten or late quitters.

The wild hen was waiting for me when I returned the last two eggs and was begging for them.

I haven't candled my hens eggs yet. It has already been a week. I don't want to mess with them and accidently throw away eggs that I thought were dead and then they weren't. They are too valuable to me. I am just going to let momma do everything and not disturb her.

 

[R2elk]

I haven't candled my hens eggs yet. It has already been a week. I don't want to mess with them and accidently throw away eggs that I thought were dead and then they weren't. They are too valuable to me. I am just going to let momma do everything and not disturb her.

The only time that I ever candle eggs that are under a turkey hen is if the hatch should have been over or eggs that are left in a nest after a hen takes the poults and leaves.

I just started doing this a few years ago when I was tossing some unhatched eggs and one cracked and had dangling, kicking legs hanging out of it after it landed. I did manage to save the poult although it did require several days of treatment in the incubator. Once it was recovered, it was impossible to tell it from any of the poults that didn't get any help..

 

[Pyxis]

Went to a bird swap today. Sold three BB Whites that came home with me as feed store rescues to homes that want to process them, so that's good. I get too attached to the little rescues to be able to do it.

And then I bought I mixed dozen of turkey hatching eggs. Could be red bourbon, could be black spanish, could be blue slate, could be mixes of the three, might be royal palm mixes, who knows. So those are going to be fun. I'll be keeping any hens hatched to put with Cranberry, my Narragansett/Midget White cross Tom.

 

[Bantambird]

Slater's feathers are growing back nicely

Here is an older one of the same red/blue color

 

[yesterDAYNE]

Is it common for turkey hens to make a... whining/crying noise at poults? I took the babies out today and had them next to my broody hen to see how she'd react, and she made this sound that was like a dog whining and a human crying and then ran away from them like she was scared. I remember some of my hens doing this last year, too. I cant find an example of the noise online. I'll see if I can record it.


Heres the kids outside.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Miss Molly has decided that she does not like the heat. I find her like this, I swear, every time I go outside! I did put a small tub of water in the back, outside in the run for her so she can stop getting mud all through the drinking water and stop tipping it over but so far, she just keeps going here. She'll stay in the one outside of I put her there but once she gets out, she goes back to this one lol

 

[R2elk]

Is it common for turkey hens to make a... whining/crying noise at poults? I took the babies out today and had them next to my broody hen to see how she'd react, and she made this sound that was like a dog whining and a human crying and then ran away from them like she was scared. I remember some of my hens doing this last year, too. I cant find an example of the noise online. I'll see if I can record it.

View attachment 2707555
Here's the kids outside.

I refer to it as "pleading". If given the opportunity, the hen making the sounds would willingly adopt the poults. She is trying to call them to her.

 

[R2elk]

Miss Molly has decided that she does not like the heat. I find her like this, I swear, every time I go outside! I did put a small tub of water in the back, outside in the run for her so she can stop getting mud all through the drinking water and stop typing it over but so far, she just keeps going here. She'll stay in the one outside of I put her there but once she gets out, she goes back to this one lol

How is her "typing"?

 

[Devils Flower]

This is like the best sound ever. Well for me it is. This is what happens every night when my young turkeys are put up for the night. It's Great! I love them so much.