Can you leave a Tom in with a hen that has newly hatched chicks?

[smoothmule]

My "test eggs" hatched today. My good little hen Betty Boop hatched our first 2 Black Spanish Turkey poults today. They are happy little guys and Betty is a great mom. W had been having some severe weather and my turkeys nest area got muddy from them going out and getting muddy and getting back in the nest so I took a couple of eggs out to do a test run to see that we were getting fertile eggs from my pair of Black Spanish. In the meantime, the weather cleared and my turkey hen laid a few more days then began to set the eggs. I'm not absolutely certain which day she started to set but it wasn't more than a week after I took these 2 eggs out.

Anyway, I'm tired and rambling. What I would like to know....is it safe to leave my tom in the pen with the hen when the eggs are due to hatch? Will he harm the new poults? Both the hen and the Tom are young. This is their first hatch.

Also, if I take the poults to raise will she begin laying again? I didn't realize I knew so little about turkeys.

 

[The Wolf Queen]

BUMP

 

[WriterofWords]

I personally have no experience with them, but a friend of mine just had her Tom kill all of her new babies and her hen is mourning so badly she figures she'll die too. Maybe someone else can give you more advice to the positive side.

 

[smoothmule]

Writer of words,
Thanks, that's all I need to hear. I can easily turn my tom out and he will go to the barn to roost which is right next to the pen they are in now. I had also been considering taking the poults from the hen but didn't know how she would take it and I'd just as soon she care for them until they are well started.

How are the hens at caring for the young? Can I take the young poults at a couple weeks and finish raising them myself once the evening temperatures are warmer? And will she go back to laying if I do? I don't plan on keeping these little guys and want to sell them and buy another grown hen so I'll have 2 hens for my tom so I had been considering taking them at a week or 2 old anyway.

 

[smoothmule]

What does Bump mean?

 

[jessupfamily]

Quote:
If there haven't been any posts to your question sometimes people will "bump" it to get it noticed again. In hopes of someone seeing it.

 

[smoothmule]

Aw thanks

 

[Struttn1]

I do not trust toms with young poults especially newly hatched. I had over half a clutch of poults killed by one of my toms this spring. I would not let the tom near them until they are big enough to get away from the tom if he goes for them.

 

[smoothmule]

Thank you Struttin 1
I've already taken care of it and Buddy is enjoying being out again. He's free ranging with the chickens and will go to the barn to roost. Ms Turkey has the pen and little barn to herself and seems quite content.

The outer pen is chain link so I will be putting some wire fence along the bottom to make sure the chicks can't get out. Till then, to be on the safe side, I can put something across the doorway to their little barn so the little guys can't get out.

My little bantam hen is doing an excellent job of caring for her 2 turkey poults but I'll probably take them from her in a week or so and finish raising them. They are for sale by the way, if anyone is in the Springfield, Mo area. I want another adult hen and plan to sell the poults out of my tom this year.