Anyone ever hatch turkey and chicken eggs at the same time?

[aleksgill]

Okay, so last year I hatched out eggs: some chicken and some turkey. Kind of had an average early loss of a couple here or there. In the end most of the eggs hatched, but I did have a couple turkeys that just... failed. I assisted, but they never were able to walk, so they were euthanized.

This year I did the same, but tailored by settings to the turkey guidelines from Porter's. EVERY single egg was fertile, all nine chicken eggs hatched early. I had transferred them to a cheap still air incubator from Tractor Supple at the end and it went fantastic.

The turkeys aren't going as well. I got a new incubator (Incuview from Incubator Warehouse) recently and was planning on using it for hatching. I have another calibrated thermometer and hygrometer that I verify the temp and humidity with and that SEEMS fine. First egg pipped a bit early, but ultimately on time. 12 hours had no progress, but awhile later it seemed to start zipping and stopped pretty quick. There was yellowish foam coming from the pip hole which seemed odd. I'm been hatching, keeping the membranes moist, and occasionally picking away at the shell. Chick is still alive and vocal, but I managed to take a peak at the navel and it appears open, but I don't see the yolk sac anywhere.

Two more just pipped last night, one was just starting to zip this morning. It is now "hatch day." and non have much progress toward hatching. I started with a total of 4 eggs in this group (more still in the incubator, but in a different group.) One hasn't even pipped yet, and I suspect it died since I don't remember seeing it rocking around like the others.

SO!

Does this seem like a temp/ humidity problem or a turkey problem? I'm starting to wonder how inbred my turkeys were since I ordered them from one hatchery online a couple years ago. I mean, we did better last year, but still not great. Should I swap out my hens with ones from somewhere else? I LOVE my tom, so I don't really want to get rid of him, but I had someone interested in my hens, so they have a potential home.

The turkeys are all fed special turkey layer/breeder feed and get some greens and oyster shells on occasion.

 

[R2elk]

Okay, so last year I hatched out eggs: some chicken and some turkey. Kind of had an average early loss of a couple here or there. In the end most of the eggs hatched, but I did have a couple turkeys that just... failed. I assisted, but they never were able to walk, so they were euthanized.

This year I did the same, but tailored by settings to the turkey guidelines from Porter's. EVERY single egg was fertile, all nine chicken eggs hatched early. I had transferred them to a cheap still air incubator from Tractor Supple at the end and it went fantastic.

The turkeys aren't going as well. I got a new incubator (Incuview from Incubator Warehouse) recently and was planning on using it for hatching. I have another calibrated thermometer and hygrometer that I verify the temp and humidity with and that SEEMS fine. First egg pipped a bit early, but ultimately on time. 12 hours had no progress, but awhile later it seemed to start zipping and stopped pretty quick. There was yellowish foam coming from the pip hole which seemed odd. I'm been hatching, keeping the membranes moist, and occasionally picking away at the shell. Chick is still alive and vocal, but I managed to take a peak at the navel and it appears open, but I don't see the yolk sac anywhere.

Two more just pipped last night, one was just starting to zip this morning. It is now "hatch day." and non have much progress toward hatching. I started with a total of 4 eggs in this group (more still in the incubator, but in a different group.) One hasn't even pipped yet, and I suspect it died since I don't remember seeing it rocking around like the others.

SO!

Does this seem like a temp/ humidity problem or a turkey problem? I'm starting to wonder how inbred my turkeys were since I ordered them from one hatchery online a couple years ago. I mean, we did better last year, but still not great. Should I swap out my hens with ones from somewhere else? I LOVE my tom, so I don't really want to get rid of him, but I had someone interested in my hens, so they have a potential home.

The turkeys are all fed special turkey layer/breeder feed and get some greens and oyster shells on occasion.

When hatching turkey and chicken eggs at the same time, it can be beneficial to add the chicken eggs 7 days after the turkey eggs so they can all go to lockdown at the same time.

Your problems may well be that the adults are too closely related. All turkeys are more closely related than chickens are to start with. Add in that most backyard breeders get all of their turkeys from the same hatch and it is very easy for the breeding of siblings to happen. Breeding siblings is the quickest way to expose bad traits.

The problem of the assisted hatchlings failure to walk can be directly related to the assisted hatch. They really need to kick their way out of the shell to get their legs working properly. Sometimes using the "cup" method can help them get control of their legs.

You may wish to provide your breeders with a good vitamin supplement also.

 

[aleksgill]

When hatching turkey and chicken eggs at the same time, it can be beneficial to add the chicken eggs 7 days after the turkey eggs so they can all go to lockdown at the same time.

Your problems may well be that the adults are too closely related. All turkeys are more closely related than chickens are to start with. Add in that most backyard breeders get all of their turkeys from the same hatch and it is very easy for the breeding of siblings to happen. Breeding siblings is the quickest way to expose bad traits.

The problem of the assisted hatchlings failure to walk can be directly related to the assisted hatch. They really need to kick their way out of the shell to get their legs working properly. Sometimes using the "cup" method can help them get control of their legs.

You may wish to provide your breeders with a good vitamin supplement also.

Okay, I might see about replacing my hens then to see if that helps at all. In my defense they sat on eggs last year and had a 0% hatch rate. They're trying again this year, so it's basically a competition to see who is worse at hatching out poults - me or the turkeys.

I have three incubators, I was using one for incubator then transferring to a prepared incubator for hatching. Seemed to work great with the chicks, but lousy luck with the turkeys. On the plus side one turkey poult practically teleported out of its egg and is doing fantastic, so at least I have one.

Do you recommend any particular type of vitamin supplement? I try and bring them snacks for enrichment, like clover, boiled egg yolks, herbs, mealworms, etc.

 

[R2elk]

Do you recommend any particular type of vitamin supplement? I try and bring them snacks for enrichment, like clover, boiled egg yolks, herbs, mealworms, etc.

Limit the snacks. If you are feeding a complete feed, you diminish its quality by feeding too many snacks. If you are feeding hard boiled egg yolks, give them the egg whites too. Hard boiled eggs contain the best quality of protein available. The yolks contain a few other things but the whites are all protein.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/protein-in-egg

You can use a commercial vitamin supplement such as Nutri Drench or a good vitamin B complex made at the rate of one half tablet or capsule dissolved in one gallon of water. It should be made fresh daily.