AN ODD NEST PROBLEM

[nchls school]

I have a midget white hen brooding eggs in a nest on the floor. I leaned boards over the nest to keep the toms from disturbing the brooding hen. This morning, while feeding the birds, I noticed the strong stench of death. In looking, I noticed the turkey sitting strangely on her nest. When the boards were removed there was a dead rooster laying in the nest. The turkey hen had pulled her eggs as far from the dead bird as possible, which wasn't far. The rooster has been gone two/three days and I thought it to be a victim to predators. While I am sure the eggs are still viable I am concerned about the turkey's health. As soon as I finish typing I'm going to clean the nest and provide new bedding. The eggs have two more weeks to go before hatching. Any recommendations? Is there any way to sterilize the eggs should the shells be contaminated. I'm unsure what to do about the turkey hen and the possibility of disease.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Dispose of the rooster and male sure there isn't anything on the eggs. Mama will keep them rather clean with her fearhwrs. If you can at all, I would perhaps risk moving the nest so.wwhere new with mama so they aren't there

 

[Weeg]

Ya, I would possibly move the nest to somewhere where no one can bother her. It's risky, but no one will disturb her. We had a disturbance problem with our broody ducks and ended up with only dead babies. I wish I would have realized the problem sooner, and moved them.

 

[nchls school]

No one has actually bothered the hen. It looked as though the sick rooster looked for a safe place, and then died there.

The hen is quite the pet and very tame. One of her winter nests we moved into the whirlpool in the spare bathroom; where she hatched all of her eggs. Yes, I am more than confident that I can move her from the death spot.

Thank you all for your replies.

 

[nchls school]

What a awful stinking mess. The nest was full of maggots and the hen made no fuss about it being cleaned and moved.