A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[KF0002]

Yes. I had a similar situation last year. After the chick hatched she abandoned her developing eggs.

Did your hen successfully raise the chick?

 

[KF0002]

Yes
One chick is hard to raise by itself. But there can be issues later because of the imprinting

I have poults and chicks of various ages, some just a few days old I could have put the chick with. But I worried the hen wouldn't sit tight on the rest of the eggs. It is best I raise any poults that hatch anyway. I just hope Sassy does well with her new little chick.

 

[R2elk]

Did your hen successfully raise the chick?

No, I put it in the brooder. I didn't need a turkey imprinted chick.

 

[Huntmaster]

I had about 8 wild turkey hens visiting all day today. There is still one of the wild jennies that never left from wild hen that raised 2 jennies and a jake last spring on the farm. They just followed her around all day she isn't too scared of me anymore, so they never got to alarmed as they mostly followed her lead. I'm sure all the boys won't be too far behind when they show up a few won't leave for a few weeks with all my hens screaming all day.

 

[Molpet]

I have poults and chicks of various ages, some just a few days old I could have put the chick with. But I worried the hen wouldn't sit tight on the rest of the eggs. It is best I raise any poults that hatch anyway. I just hope Sassy does well with her new little chick.

I have one , Good Mama, turkey hen that loves her chicks more than the poults. She stays with the chickens year round. Her eggs don't seem to hatch well. I seen her getting mounted by a tom 2x this year but neither were successful. . I have another that ignores what hatched until she isn't sitting on eggs. So I take the chicks , rejected poults and give to Good Mama for the last 3 years. First 2 years, a pullet, that stayed with her until she went broody. Last year were 2 cockerels. I was wondering what was going to happen when I harvested them. The one was being a jerk and she didn't seem to mind when I took him. The other is a nice one and has several hens following him. She is starting to not let him roost next to her, before she wouldn't let his hens sit next to him.
The poults usually get taken or follow another hen with poults.

 

[KF0002]

I have one , Good Mama, turkey hen that loves her chicks more than the poults. She stays with the chickens year round. Her eggs don't seem to hatch well. I seen her getting mounted by a tom 2x this year but neither were successful. . I have another that ignores what hatched until she isn't sitting on eggs. So I take the chicks , rejected poults and give to Good Mama for the last 3 years. First 2 years, a pullet, that stayed with her until she went broody. Last year were 2 cockerels. I was wondering what was going to happen when I harvested them. The one was being a jerk and she didn't seem to mind when I took him. The other is a nice one and has several hens following him. She is starting to not let him roost next to her, before she wouldn't let his hens sit next to him.
The poults usually get taken or follow another hen with poults.

I'm glad to hear your turkey hen does well with chicks. Sassy's own eggs havent hatched well this year so Im curious to see if the 7 hatch. Out of over a dozen or two eggs she has laid that have been fertile and developed, I've only got 3 healthy poults from her. Not sure if she is older than my friend let on or what is going on.

I don't want to take Sassy's chick from her. It is a weed hatch (game cross) so I'm not too concerned about losing or keeping the chick. If it becomes imprinted to her and not chickens I won't mind. I will try to take pictures when she is out of her fire breathing dragon phase. Lol

 

[KF0002]

I eluded to poor hatch rates this year in my previous post and now I am getting frustrated and concerned. I have historically always done well hatching chicken and turkey eggs. I usually get at least a 50-70%, upwards to 90% once with turkey eggs. With chicken eggs, 80-90%. This year, nothing has changed and I have been setting turkey eggs like I always do. Humidity around 40-45%, then higher at lockdown. The poults internally pip and then fail to hatch. Some develop to near hatch but never internall pip. Nutrition is good, the birds are young and healthy. I was told Sassy is two years old, the others are a year old. I am frustrated to say the least. The air cells look big and appropriate to gestation. Any tips or advice?

 

[KF0002]

I had about 8 wild turkey hens visiting all day today. There is still one of the wild jennies that never left from wild hen that raised 2 jennies and a jake last spring on the farm. They just followed her around all day she isn't too scared of me anymore, so they never got to alarmed as they mostly followed her lead. I'm sure all the boys won't be too far behind when they show up a few won't leave for a few weeks with all my hens screaming all day.

Do you have any toms that can get to them? We have wild turkeys that come very close to our turkeys too because of all the yelping and gobbling. Luckily Ruger is a big homebody and doesn't go far. Lol. I've heard a few wild gobblers pretty close.

 

[Huntmaster]

Do you have any toms that can get to them? We have wild turkeys that come very close to our turkeys too because of all the yelping and gobbling. Luckily Ruger is a big homebody and doesn't go far. Lol. I've heard a few wild gobblers pretty close.

Only if the wilds fly into my open pasture pen that I keep all the extra toms. I don't free range so to speak all my birds are always in fenced in area even if area is a few acres. But the wilds do sometimes fly in if they roost in trees around pens, but for the most part they just hang around perimeter of pens. All my other pens are fully netted so nothing in or out, (wilds out) (my hens locked in) so not to run off and hide nests. I always try to scare wilds from inside the open pen as to not wanting my toms breeding them and polluting gene pool of the wilds. But the wild hen that was raised here last spring and never left, does hang out with all the toms no matter how I tried to run her off. So not sure what will happen with her this spring.

 

[KF0002]

Only if the wilds fly into my open pasture pen that I keep all the extra toms. I don't free range so to speak all my birds are always in fenced in area even if area is a few acres. But the wilds do sometimes fly in if they roost in trees around pens, but for the most part they just hang around perimeter of pens. All my other pens are fully netted so nothing in or out, (wilds out) (my hens locked in) so not to run off and hide nests. I always try to scare wilds from inside the open pen as to not wanting my toms breeding them and polluting gene pool of the wilds. But the wild hen that was raised here last spring and never left, does hang out with all the toms no matter how I tried to run her off. So not sure what will happen with her this spring.

I don't think there is any risk of Ruger polluting the wild turkey population. He stays around the back porch waiting on feed. Lol.