BR turkey hen, tips

[oharamr]

I need tips from anyone who has had a bourbon red turkey hen hatch her own eggs. She will be a year old in May. She has laid 8 eggs so far. She laid her first egg out in the yard, when I had them out of pen for a day. I have since built a nest box in there building and put the first egg in nest and she laid the next 6 in the nest, but yesturday it was cold and wet she laid an egg in their run outside in the mud. I put it in the nest for her. My qestion is should I worry that she may not become broody? I know that i've read she needs to lay like 20 eggs for her body to decide to go broody. My plan was to let her have 10 eggs outside and then start bringing the newest eggs inside to keep warm and turn everyday till she goes broody and then swap eggs when she does this. Is my plan correct and I just need to be patient?

 

[sandspoultry]

Your plan sounds good to me, just when you start taking the eggs from the nest do you have something to put in place of the ones you are taking? She will need to see/feel the egg pile growing. Duck eggs work best in place of turkey eggs as they have a think shell and won't break if the hen steps on them.

Steve in NC

 

[oharamr]

just chicken eggs, will that work?

 

[Struttn1]

Had a two year old Bourbon hen last year who sat 3 consecutive clutches without a break. 1st clutch was destroyed by the gobbler while she was off the nest. 2nd clutch I swapped out for fresh laid eggs so I could incubate the second clutch. When she went broody their was only 2 eggs in the nest so I was scrambling to come up with eggs for her.

If your hen has laid 6 in the nesting box then that is where she will eventually brood. Unless your temps are dropping below freezing I would just lay back and let her take care of them. If it drops below freezing then protecting the eggs becomes priority.

It is a judgement call on your part basically.

 

[Struttn1]

I have fooled them before with plastic Easter eggs with sand to add some weight.

Sands is right about the chicken eggs. I have been using them but am starting to have problems with them breaking. I am heading to Walmart in a few to buy some Easter eggs.

 

[oharamr]

I didn't relieze turkeys could count their eggs, and people say turkeys are stupid. Would color of easter egg matter?

 

[Struttn1]

I avoid the bright colors. Easter eggs can be bought in light pastel colors and those are the colors I use. A bit of Super Glue helps prevernt them coming apart after you add a bit of sand. I've had them remove the fake eggs before I started weighting them to resemble the weight of real eggs.

 

[sandspoultry]

Quote:
I wouldn't say count, but they seem to know when the time is right to sit. I don't know if it's by the size of the nest or if they know their own eggs are slowing down.

You don't want to use chicken eggs as they break to easy and will make a mess of the nest. if it's to nasty the hen will leave the nest all together.

We found some wooden eggs at a yard sale, we got a couple dozen of different sizes for a dollar I think.

Steve