Did u have a turkey hen go setty today? Wanna natural-hatch together?

[cedarcroft]

HI all - Edwina # 2 went setty today - i am in Central Ontario, it's 5celsius/40F outside, and i want to share the cutest thing she did...she & her sister (everyone free-ranges here) have been working away at leaving me a pile of eggs in the far back corner of a hutch that's got it's people-door busted off (been meaning to re-hang that or ask DH to..) anywy today she told me she might like to set on that clutch of about 8...but i had one egg set aside that she or sis dropped on the barn floor this weekend..so there she is, all tucked in, fussing with the hay around, and i crept into the the hutch slowly-slowly and gently offered her the egg. I left it & backed away, preferring not to provoke hissing. But my worry-wart-ed-ness prevailed and i could not resist pushing the egg closer towards her with the aid of a pooh fork. OMG - soooo cute, she leaned out and tucked that egg under her beak and gently-gently rolled it under her breast - wish i'd had video. Anyway, anyone else out there want to be natural-hatch turkey buddies? i'm Bourbon Reds. Blessings,

 

[Denninmi]

Well, actually, I just raided the nest tonight after she has been setting on them since Easter Sunday. I felt bad about doing it, but I was afraid if I left them to Mother Nature that it might not end well. I don't know yet if they are viable, I just took them and put them right into the incubator that I had prepared and preheated all day. I will candle them tonight and see what is going on. She is a first time hen, but was always on the nest from day 1. There are 14 eggs, so I hope at least some are good.

I was afraid that if I left them, the toms might just kill them if they hatched, or possibly even the other hens, even though it was a communal nest.

 

[cedarcroft]

Well, you might 'go' before i do then! Actually i had an adventure after that post - Edwina # 2 stomped off and begged for company so i shut her up for the night with Tom & sis & mom (edwina # 1). I put a broody dk. Brahma hen on the clutch and we'll see what happens! ***Good hatching to you*** i have limited experience w/ turkeys but i know what you mean about the Toms, i used to have 2 but #2 had to go to freezer camp because Tom beat the poop out of #2 & #2 was physically ok but never the same emo/psych/attitude after and there seemed no cure for him but 'camp'. I will take a lesson from your mention of the 'communal nest' - in ignorance i never gave that a thought. Edwina # 1 has been on 9 eggs since May 1, not off for a moment, we're hoping for a natural hatch. Also 9 B-Reds in the brinsea, collected from Edwinas 1-thru-3 incuding, dare we hope, maybe some eggies from the 2 wild turkey girls that hang around. I hope your candling is satisfactory!

 

[Denninmi]

Well, I candled them last night. I had 3 that were obviously rotten, a couple that might be developing but I'm not really sure, and the rest are just clear.

So, for whatever reason, this hen didn't know the right things to do with the eggs, or maybe the weather was just too cold and they were chilled too much prior to incubation. However, the latter doesn't seem quite right, since I know for a fact on Easter Sunday she started with about 6 eggs, and the rest were added to the nest after the fact by the other hens.

Oh well, I pulled the three bad ones and am going to leave the rest in the Brinsea for a while and just see what happens.

The hen is back sitting on her nest this morning. I didn't have time before work to see if any new eggs were added. I assume that they may now lay more since I took the first batch.

I wonder why these birds aren't better at it. Last year, I took duck eggs and hatched some, but then towards the end of the season in late June/early July, I let my Rouen hen keep a clutch. None of them hatched, they all just turned into stink bombs. That didn't surprise me too much, as she wasn't too good at sitting on them -- she'd be off them for several hours a day when she would swim, preen, etc. in the afternoons. I was kind of hoping that they would be ok because it was quite hot during July last year, around 90 each day, and the nest was where it got some late afternoon sun. But, it wasn't meant to be, which was basically OK with me because I have too many ducks already.

 

[saylernsaxonsmom]

My Spanish Blacks are currently sitting on 14 chicken eggs and only one of their own. They started just before Easter. Now, the chicks have started hatching; but I'm concerned about the turkey egg. I know the incubation period is longer, but I'm totally clueless on hatching...first time ever for me! I wanted a bunch of turkey poults...Imagine my surprise when I discovered the true contents of the nest!!!

Sadly, the chickens were being sneaky and laying beside the turkeys (I guess) and then the turkeys just adopted the new eggs as their own? Now I've got to read threads on caring for baby chicks and broody turkeys...ah, this would happen to me! I'm never leaving for a long weekend again!

So maybe I can luck out and have one little baby turkey with lots of little chick siblings to share with you...

Hope you have a great hatch!

 

[Denninmi]

Well, there were 4 new eggs in the nest area last night, and she was back sitting on them. I felt bad, but I took them. One had a funky shell, not colored right and giant calcium bumps, so it went to the fridge. I put the other 3 in the Brinsea.

I'm going to just keep gathering them now, since she doesn't seem to know exactly how to deal with them, or some environmental factor is wrong.

Should I give her some golf balls or something to sit on as a consolation prize, so she doesn't get too discouraged if I keep gathering eggs?

 

[cedarcroft]

Sorry so long since been online/to reply. If you have any duck eggs, that's what i would do, put duck eggs under her. I hope it's going ok for you. I will soon put my 9 eggs (April 30) in the brinsea on lockdown - i never was any good at candling despite folks' advice - i think i may have 2 bad eggs but they don't smell and i just can't bring myself to discard - what if i was killing something??? Ack! Edwina went setty on May 8th and Edwina Junior went setty on May 15 - Edwina # 1 i can't even be sure how many/what she has under her, she has been SO SO dedicated i've never seen her off the nest once therefore i haven't had a good look at her nest. But last count was @ least 10 eggs, however there could be some muscovy eggs in there too - whoops

Now Edwina # 2 has jumped off the nest, she likes to go for a walkabout when i get home from work but she does get back on the nest after about 15 min. She has best i could count 13 eggs under her. She had an adventure y'day, Edwina Junior II jumped on her/her nest, which i put an end to that and put a proper door up for Edwina Junior so she can have peace...Edwina Junior II promptly got right depressed and stood in a corner of the veg garden with wings down, neck in, head down HA! it was kind of funny. Anyway i'm sure she'll enjoy being Tom's only girlfriend now. Good hatch to you,