So, I bought 10 mixed day-old Broad Breasted Whites, April 2011. They were my first turkeys ever after raising chickens for over 30 years. I lost 2 in the first month because the pekins I bought at the same time sat on them and smothered them. The rest thrived and were healthy and strong until I put them out in the coop in June, and someone left a window open--raccoons slaughtered them all but one poor shellshocked duck. So in July I tried again. 10 BBW. Within days I knew this batch (though from the same breeder) was completely different. within 2 weeks, 4 of my little turkeys had slipped tendons in their legs and were crippled, despite being raised in a wonderful, clean brooder cage. They also pecked around less, and preened much less. I looked for every eventuality. I could only assume that this batch was more inbred than the Spring batch I had. Only two survived to adulthood--the rest were in such bad shape they died or had to be culled and eaten (and I would rather spend money on my pets than have some vet tell me to kill them), Now I have two full grown, healthy female BBWs following me around, calling me "momma". And THEN, in early March, they start dropping their wings and calling me "daddy".They're laying eggs and one would like to sit on some. Everything I read says that BBW Toms can't mate with hens. (I'm not sure why, all they have to do is touch butts together, but apparently all that breast meat gets in the way). So I buy a very nice, young, proven breeder royal palm tom.
Two weeks later he starts to do his business. All this time, we're collecting turkey eggs. I get 6. I open them for some french toast, and three are fertile! A couple weeks after, one of my bbw hens wants to sit on some eggs so I give her 9. She sits for three days, one breaks. Another is laid. Three days and two break. A week later and we're down to five eggs, with my other hen donating eggs. My hens are devastated and clingy. I keep hoping one will be able to hatch out a baby, but I'm thinking I'm going to have to buy a heritage hen and stick my girl's eggs under her.
The terrible part is that it's not her wide thick breasts that seem to be crushing the eggs. It seems to be when the eggs roll or get pushed behind her, she seems to forget they're there and SQUIK.
So I'm going to start collecting their eggs again, and looking for a young girl who might want to sit on them. I would appreciate any advice. My husband wants to slaughter the two (as well as my 6 cornish x who are 10 months old but that's another story) because they can't set eggs. Me? I'm too attached to my two tough girls to put the knife to them.
My solution is to put their eggs under someone else, but at this point in the cycle they're just hay burners. Ideas?
Two weeks later he starts to do his business. All this time, we're collecting turkey eggs. I get 6. I open them for some french toast, and three are fertile! A couple weeks after, one of my bbw hens wants to sit on some eggs so I give her 9. She sits for three days, one breaks. Another is laid. Three days and two break. A week later and we're down to five eggs, with my other hen donating eggs. My hens are devastated and clingy. I keep hoping one will be able to hatch out a baby, but I'm thinking I'm going to have to buy a heritage hen and stick my girl's eggs under her.
The terrible part is that it's not her wide thick breasts that seem to be crushing the eggs. It seems to be when the eggs roll or get pushed behind her, she seems to forget they're there and SQUIK.
So I'm going to start collecting their eggs again, and looking for a young girl who might want to sit on them. I would appreciate any advice. My husband wants to slaughter the two (as well as my 6 cornish x who are 10 months old but that's another story) because they can't set eggs. Me? I'm too attached to my two tough girls to put the knife to them.
My solution is to put their eggs under someone else, but at this point in the cycle they're just hay burners. Ideas?
