A couple of weeks ago my 10 month old turkey (Data) went broody. I was participating in the NYE hatch-a-long and had a hen sitting on a clutch already. Since I wanted turkey eggs and not a broody turkey I started moving her into a separate pen each morning without a nest to try to break the broodiness. A couple of days later another hen (Kirk) went broody so I started moving the pair out to the back pen together.
Their mutual unrequited broodiness seemed to bond them as BFF's. I started to see the two of them making "nests" in holes in the ground and then sit in the holes together. When I would let them out of the pen in the evening to go back to the coop, they would only walk together, get a drink together and then sit on the shelf together where I had moved away the nest box. Sometimes I would find Data the turkey kind of "mothering" Kirk the chicken (who is a little on the small side) by putting her huge wing over her and Kirk would tuck her head under.
Well, after a couple of weeks and I couldn't break their broodiness I decided to stop fighting it and put Data down to set on a couple of turkey eggs. Within minutes, Kirk was with her in the box and nearly unmovable as they'd both fight like crazy if I tried to touch either of them. One week later they're still going strong so I set a few chicken eggs under Kirk so they'll all hatch at the same time.
The two of them seem to be in it for the long haul. It's actually pretty cute. I know that I may lose some of the eggs to breakage but since I wasn't really planning on this second clutch anyway we'll just let it play out. Don't really have a plan on what's going to happen come hatch day but suppose I'll separate one of them into the small house to hatch all of the eggs together.
This morning it was this: Kirk's head was completely tucked under Data's tail feathers. She was like this for over a half hour.
Silly birds!
Ever seen anything like this? Thoughts and comments welcome!
Their mutual unrequited broodiness seemed to bond them as BFF's. I started to see the two of them making "nests" in holes in the ground and then sit in the holes together. When I would let them out of the pen in the evening to go back to the coop, they would only walk together, get a drink together and then sit on the shelf together where I had moved away the nest box. Sometimes I would find Data the turkey kind of "mothering" Kirk the chicken (who is a little on the small side) by putting her huge wing over her and Kirk would tuck her head under.
Well, after a couple of weeks and I couldn't break their broodiness I decided to stop fighting it and put Data down to set on a couple of turkey eggs. Within minutes, Kirk was with her in the box and nearly unmovable as they'd both fight like crazy if I tried to touch either of them. One week later they're still going strong so I set a few chicken eggs under Kirk so they'll all hatch at the same time.
The two of them seem to be in it for the long haul. It's actually pretty cute. I know that I may lose some of the eggs to breakage but since I wasn't really planning on this second clutch anyway we'll just let it play out. Don't really have a plan on what's going to happen come hatch day but suppose I'll separate one of them into the small house to hatch all of the eggs together.
This morning it was this: Kirk's head was completely tucked under Data's tail feathers. She was like this for over a half hour.
Silly birds!
Ever seen anything like this? Thoughts and comments welcome!
