Broody turkey hen

[hogster160]

So my turkey hen is just about 9 months old. She has been breeding with our tom. Now it appears that she has gone broody. She has her nest outside in her run under a rose of sharon bush. 2 days 2 nights she's been on there. And got really mad at me when I made her get off to go eat. She hissed at me, and ran away chattering up a storm. I have been collecting her eggs daily. And I have 5 eggs from the last 8 days or so. All stored on the counter pointed side down in an egg carton.

Now my question. Can I take those eggs and put them under her? Or will she continue to lay eggs until the clutch is what she feels she needs? Would that would make it a staggered hatch if she continues to lay? Or should I just let her keep laying eggs and wish for a hatch when ever?

Um its the end of October in northern Indiana. Its going to be getting cold soon. She's outside, will I need to take the poults away or keep them with mom? And dad? he is ignoring her. He checks on her, but otherwise just leaves her alone.

Why o why did she have to go broody now?. Guess I won't be getting my porter turkeys in the spring!

Here is her spot for a nest. They are in a fenced in yard right behind our house.

 

[HEChicken]

I have a broody chicken right now too - sometimes they just don't do what we think is sensible LOL.

If I were you, I'd put the eggs you have collected back under her and hope she considers it a clutch and stops laying. I did have a turkey this year who continued to lay an egg a day for a week after she started sitting. She had started with 13 and when I checked during one of her broody breaks, she got up to 20 before she quit. Yikes! Unfortunately, she had chosen to brood out in my pasture and a fox got her and the eggs at the 3-week mark. Until then, I was prepared to retrieve any unhatched eggs when she left the nest and finish them in the incubator.

As to leaving the poults with her - absolutely! She will do a much better job of keeping them warm and taking care of them than you could in the brooder. I am letting my broody hen hatch a few eggs, figuring if she wants to be responsible for raising them in winter, that's on her.

 

[hogster160]

Thanks for the reply. I have taken the eggs from her, and she has continued to lay them. Although they are fewer. She is spending more and more time off of her nest. Hoping it has worked to break her for this season. Come spring, game on lol. I am making sure she gets extra fruits and veggies, to encourage her to get off the nest. I'm just really not ready for baby turkeys lol.