Broody Turkey Hen Questions

[GarrettW]

I have a 2-year-old Narragansett hen named Karen who started sitting on a nest last Monday. There were 18 eggs in the nest when she started out. I have one other hen that keeps laying eggs and trying to co-nest, even though Karen rips her up. Anyway, I'm worried that having too many eggs will cause a bad hatch, so I want to move the hen. Will the hen stay broody if I move her to a nesting box in another pen? I think moving her is the only way to keep the other hens from interfering. Also, what's the best way of moving the broody hen?

 

[R2elk]

I have a 2-year-old Narragansett hen named Karen who started sitting on a nest last Monday. There were 18 eggs in the nest when she started out. I have one other hen that keeps laying eggs and trying to co-nest, even though Karen rips her up. Anyway, I'm worried that having too many eggs will cause a bad hatch, so I want to move the hen. Will the hen stay broody if I move her to a nesting box in another pen? I think moving her is the only way to keep the other hens from interfering. Also, what's the best way of moving the broody hen?

You can try. Some people have been successful, others have not.

Move her to a secure pen that has a prepared nest in it. Gather the eggs and bring them to her.

Be prepared to incubate the eggs if she abandons them.

 

[GarrettW]

You can try. Some people have been successful, others have not.

Move her to a secure pen that has a prepared nest in it. Gather the eggs and bring them to her.

Be prepared to incubate the eggs if she abandons them.

It worked. I moved her to the other nesting box. At first, she was just trying to get back to the former nesting box, but once I gave her the eggs she immediately started sitting on them.