Broody won't care for herself

[Jrose]

I have a broody turkey hen who hatched a clutch of chicken eggs. She only got off the nest 5 times to poop- I counted and looked for fresh poos every day, only 5 in 23 days! I placed food and water right next to her nest box. She barely drank a pint of water and even less food all that time. The chicks hatched 3-4 days ago and she still won't take care of herself. She will NOT let her attention leave the babes for even a moment. I have to hold food up to her face. She'll take a bite or two and lose interest. She's trembling. I haven't tried to pick her up, but I bet she's extremely thin- she was a fatty going into brooding. I love this turkey (she loves me too), what can I do to get her to eat and drink? I even offered scrambled eggs this morning and she ate maybe a teaspoon and ignored it! I've offered dry feed, wet feed, fermented feed, nuts and seeds, worms, fresh grass, dried grass... Don't know what else to do!

 

[ivan3]

Sounds like standard broody behavior. So long as food and water is available don't worry. Ours always get pretty frowzy & skinny. Leave nest only to poop/bite at grass or grasshoppers/remove "bad eggs" from the nest/take a very amended dirt bath and then back to brooding.

If you have any moths around outdoor lights, yet - they appreciate those as quick "hand feed".

 

[enola]

When did the chicks hatch?

 

[Jrose]

She's not on the nest anymore. The chicks hatched 4 days ago. I got another teaspoon or two of food, a few blades of grass, and one drink of water down her. She won't have any more.

 

[enola]

What does her crop feel like? Has she been wormed ?

 

[ivan3]

She's not on the nest anymore.  The chicks hatched 4 days ago.  I got another teaspoon or two of food, a few blades of grass, and one drink of water down her.  She won't have any more.

Thanks for info. We've had to remove eggs that didn't hatch, from under interminable broody's, so they'd get to moving with the poults (so imagined yours was in a similar "compulsion").
As I mentioned, in previous post, hand feed her some moths (if nothing else she'll drop the moth so the chicks can eat it). They always "tremble" after leaving nest (think they're getting blood flow back into muscles).

 

[Jrose]

All the chicks hatched in 1 day and she was out of the nest with them the next morning. She hasn't been stationary, she's not sitting on the nest, she's up and moving, telling off the dog through the fence, walking, herding the chicks, etc. She's trembling and has no interest in food or water. She'll spare one or two bites then divert her attention 100% back to the chicks. She's completely fixated on them and don't do anything else for herself. I don't have moths this time of year. I've tried worms and she eventually ate one and wouldn't look at another.
I have not felt her crop or her body. She's tolerating me well but I don't want to push her buttons. She has not received a dewormer.

 

[enola]

Sounds like you should try worming her with Safeguard liquid for goats. If you think she is dehydrated, and I am thinking she probably is. You should probably tube her to get her hydrated before she is treated for any thing. If you don't know how to tube, pm casportpony, she can help you.

 

[ivan3]

All the chicks hatched in 1 day and she was out of the nest with them the next morning.  She hasn't been stationary, she's not sitting on the nest, she's up and moving, telling off the dog through the fence, walking, herding the chicks, etc.  She's trembling and has no interest in food or water.  She'll spare one or two bites then divert her attention 100% back to the chicks.  She's completely fixated on them and don't do anything else for herself.  I don't have moths this time of year.  I've tried worms and she eventually ate one and wouldn't look at another.

 I have not felt her crop or her body.  She's tolerating me well but I don't want to push her buttons.  She has not received a dewormer.

So, she's acting differently than other post-hatch broody turkeys you've had? If so, then maybe there's a problem.

What you've described, in previous posts, is pretty much the normal behavior of our girls with their broods (it's all about the poults) during the first couple weeks. Trembling/vibrating of legs is certainly normal for post-broody hens. And, it takes some time to get back up to a larger food intake (after spending a month maybe taking two bites of food a day).

 

[enola]

How is your turkey hen doing now?