Broody Turkey

[Jrose]

Yes, just picking up the whole drawer..turkey, eggs and all and moving it to a new spot won't bother her in the least. Last year we had a broody buff orp...we just picked up the whole nest box one night and hauled it into the garage..she never cared one bit.

HUSTON, FIRST PROBLEM SOLVED. Transplant successful! She's in total broody lockdown still. I didn't try to look under her when moving, I wanted to make it the least stress possible. The next time I see her up for food I'll try and peek at the nest. But during the move it looked like there were literally eggs spilling out from underneath her! I do hope all is well down there!

HUSTON, WE HAVE ANOTHER PROBLEM. I just cracked open one of her eggs yesterday (the one I snatched from under her a few days ago when she first went broody). It was fertilized. Absolutely 100% not a doubt in my mind, perfect distinct bullseye. It caught my attention because I haven't noticed those at all in my turkey eggs, and boom! There it was! I even thought maybe I was hallucinating and had cracked a chicken egg, but, nope, the shell beside me was indeed a turkey shell. But... I don't have toms. So... I know the turkey girls squat for my rooster. Is this... possible...?

 

[chknoodles]

Ya know..I wouldn't think so...EXCEPT...we got a Guin-Hen last year when our more than amorous Leghorn male was penned with our breeding guinea fowl. It is very rare and the guinea egg went to a customer that was quite distraught because she thought we'd slipped in a chicken egg...a chicken egg that hatched at 28 days, mind you...LOL. I was ready to drive the 2 hours and give her a keet just to get that Guin-hen back because, although sterile, they are very rare and I actually had people wanting to buy her at top dollar.

I do think I have read rare instances of female turkeys laying fertile eggs when there is no male but the consensus was that a wild turkey boy might have made a secret visit...google and see if you get anything on this..I will too because if a Guinea & a Roo can make it happen, I would think a turkey and a Roo might be able to as well.

 

[Jrose]

Ya know..I wouldn't think so...EXCEPT...we got a Guin-Hen last year when our more than amorous Leghorn male was penned with our breeding guinea fowl. It is very rare and the guinea egg went to a customer that was quite distraught because she thought we'd slipped in a chicken egg...a chicken egg that hatched at 28 days, mind you...LOL. I was ready to drive the 2 hours and give her a keet just to get that Guin-hen back because, although sterile, they are very rare and I actually had people wanting to buy her at top dollar.

I do think I have read rare instances of female turkeys laying fertile eggs when there is no male but the consensus was that a wild turkey boy might have made a secret visit...google and see if you get anything on this..I will too because if a Guinea & a Roo can make it happen, I would think a turkey and a Roo might be able to as well.

Intersting!

We do have wild turkeys about, though I've never seen any within a mile of my house. I also have male pheasants hanging around the birds quite a bit, but that seems far-fetched. Unless she's continued to lay her own eggs while broody, I guess I won't know anytime soon! If, when this is all said and done, she continues laying and I do find the odd fertile egg, I may incubate a few and see what happens. My roosters are as big as my turkey hens, and though the hens desperately plead before them (lol) I've yet to see a roo pay them any attention.

Good thoughts!

 

[chknoodles]

This is what I found:

"When male chickens inseminated female turkeys, both male and female embryos form, but the males are much less viable and usually die in the early stages of development. When male turkeys inseminated female chickens, no hybrids resulted although the unfertilised chicken eggs began to divide. According to Olson (1960) turkey-chicken crosses produced all males."

So I can go with this except why would an egg even start to divide unless it was fertilized..that part kind of throws me...but hey, according to this, your Roo might be the culprit causing a fertilized turkey egg. And there was nothing about if turkey-chicken hatches, at maturity, is it sterile???

 

[Jrose]

This is what I found:

"When male chickens inseminated female turkeys, both male and female embryos form, but the males are much less viable and usually die in the early stages of development. When male turkeys inseminated female chickens, no hybrids resulted although the unfertilised chicken eggs began to divide. According to Olson (1960) turkey-chicken crosses produced all males."

So I can go with this except why would an egg even start to divide unless it was fertilized..that part kind of throws me...but hey, according to this, your Roo might be the culprit causing a fertilized turkey egg. And there was nothing about if turkey-chicken hatches, at maturity, is it sterile???

I did some reading too and I recall reading that the chicks were all sterile males. Hoodathunk? She hasn't left the nest today, maybe tomorrow morning I'll get a peek. I'm fidgeting, telling myself not to pry under her for a glance. She absolutely adores me and doesn't mind me handling her even now when she's broody, thank goodness!