Are Your Hens Setting On Eggs Yet? 2012 POULT FORECAST

[kuntrygirl]

I have 2 setting in a wooded field area and I have NO idea when the hatch day is, so I have to check AM & PM.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I set fifty five or thereabouts eggs last Saturday. Twenty five of them Standard Bronze and the remainder Midget Whites.
I'll candle them next week and if I have a good development percentage start selling hatching eggs afterwards.

Well, it seems I was wrong. I did not set 55 turkey eggs after all. In fact it was 62. I recounted them last night when I did the ten day candle. The amazing thing about it though is that every single one of them appears to be developing!
We're going to be overrun with poults by the end of the month if the hatch percentage is good.

We did the twenty fifth day candle last night. Only found three quitters out of the sixty two set. Fifty nine into the hatching trays. One had already begun to pip!

And the final result was:

Fifty five of fifty nine hatched. Slight edge to the Midget Whites but not by much.

Now I get to clean the incubator (then the brooders, then the...)

 

[kuntrygirl]

I set fifty five or thereabouts eggs last Saturday. Twenty five of them Standard Bronze and the remainder Midget Whites.
I'll candle them next week and if I have a good development percentage start selling hatching eggs afterwards.

Well, it seems I was wrong. I did not set 55 turkey eggs after all. In fact it was 62. I recounted them last night when I did the ten day candle. The amazing thing about it though is that every single one of them appears to be developing!
We're going to be overrun with poults by the end of the month if the hatch percentage is good.

We did the twenty fifth day candle last night. Only found three quitters out of the sixty two set. Fifty nine into the hatching trays. One had already begun to pip!

And the final result was:

Fifty five of fifty nine hatched. Slight edge to the Midget Whites but not by much.

Now I get to clean the incubator (then the brooders, then the...)

NICE!

 

[kuntrygirl]

For all of you Bourbon Red turkey experts, I have a question. I noticed that one of my poults (about 4 months old) has more white in color than the brown color. This is the first in years and EVER that I have seen this in my bunch. The little buggar is absolutely beautiful but I"m puzzled as to this VERY split white color in the feathering. Any explanations? And I don't have any other breed of turkeys and no other turkey could have slid in the back door to breed. I will try to post a pic.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I had a turkey hen that set up camp (went broody on eggs) across the street from me in a wooded field. Well, I had been going to check on her twice a day (AM & PM) to make sure that everything was ok. I also had been leaving food out in a large dishpan and also leaving fresh water for her and the other GENIUS (turkey hen) who set up camp in a sticker bush PLANT , so whenever they get hungry or thirsty, fresh food and water was always available to them in the yard. Well anyway, on Friday night, I walk to the field to do my PM check and I could hear my turkey hen making all kinds of noises. I immediately knew that something was NOT right. So, as I got close, I could see her moving around in her nest. So, I look and look and look and then I look to the left and I see a BIG OLE' - LONG snack circling around the side of her nest. The snack was trying to get the babies that had just hatched. I was so mad. The mama turkey had by that time got off of the nest to lure the snake away from the babies to her but the snake didn't go towards her. I got a stick and "shoo'ed" it away from the babies. I then ran to my neighbor's house to ask them to come and help me take the babies and bring them into one of my chicken stalls. It would have taken me too long to get all of those babies. So, I go and get my neighbors and they grab the babies. So the mama turkey hears them chirping and follows the chirping noise into the chicken yard and into the chicken stall. So I put turkey starter and water in there with them and she settled down. Here are pics of her and her babies. As of today all 8 babies and mama are doing good. There was only 1 egg that hadn't hatched and I have it under a broody hen. If there is no action today, then I will call it quits on that egg.









I have 1 more set of eggs that a turkey hen is setting on and that should be it for the year. I think she is sitting on about 10 eggs. They should be hatching any day now.

 

[CailetTempest]

Oh wow! those are such cute little babies. She was such a good momma too trying to lure the snake away.

My hen and tom are still sitting on their nests. Now they are rotating the eggs between the 2 nests. There is a total of 19 eggs under there and we have 3 recent ones in the incubator. My other girl just lays her eggs where ever. I have no clue when the tom and his lady's eggs will hatch. I am hoping soon because I find babies so dang cute.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Oh wow!  those are such cute little babies.  She was such a good momma too trying to lure the snake away. 

My hen and tom are still sitting on their nests.  Now they are rotating the eggs between the 2 nests.  There is a total of 19 eggs under there and we have 3 recent ones in the incubator.  My other girl just lays her eggs where ever.   I have no clue when the tom and his lady's eggs will hatch.  I am hoping soon because I find babies so dang cute.  

Thank you. I"m so excited about my new babies and she is such a good mommy. I'm so glad that I don't have to take care of them. I'm up to my eyeballs in critter "to do stuff".

 

[CailetTempest]

LOL I too am up to my eyeballs in critter stuff to do. It seems like a never ending thing lol.

 

[kuntrygirl]

My last poult hatch for the year hatched last night. My girl hatched 8 babies. She had decided to set up camp in a large sticker bush. So, I had to gear up and put on a coat, boots, gloves, helmet, etc. to remove the happy family from the 4 foot sticker bush. They are all safe and secure in their chicken stall. I will try to post pics on tomorrow.

Soooooooooooooooo glad they are done for the year. Well, let's hope.

 

[CailetTempest]

I am anxious to see if my turkey couple will even have hatchers. I didn't keep track of when they started sitting but it seems like it has been forever. I almost want to candle the eggs to see but then again I am afraid to. What if they adults won't sit on them anymore if I mess with them? or the other thing is what if they aren't fertile eggs? I am really hoping for some babies soon. UGH!!! waiting to see is frustrating