Didn't think this one through....turkey eggs, ideas?

[DeannaOR]

My turkey hen just hatched out 9 poults, there were 4 eggs left and she stopped sitting on them. (before she started sitting, one of my chickens was sitting on them, which is why the hatch dates are different) I have the incubator going with an auto turner. My first time. I brought the turkey eggs in and candled them, then put them in the incubator at the back on the wire..not in the turner. I guess I didn't really think they were viable....ughhh. Now one is pipping and moving and I am worried about the turner.
Do I absolutely have to let the poult dry off in the bator? Any options or ideas? I'm afraid it might get caught in the turner. But opening it might ruin it for the other three eggs. Help!

Also...the humidity is at 51% is that enough for it to get out?

 

[DeannaOR]

I figured it out...I let him dry, kept him in the brooder until nightfall and then took him to his Momma...who accepted him and then pecked me HARD.
That was awesome! My first time seeing a baby hatch. Thanks for your calm advice =)

 

[Kedreeva]

If you can increase the humidity without opening the incubator (my little styrofoam one has holes I can pour through) then you should try to get it up to around 70%.

Whether or not to worry about the auto turner is debatable. my turner is on a separate plug than the incubator, so I can just pull the plug on that specifically. if yours is not, or is not removable, then you may just have to let it be. Turkey poults are going to be large enough that you don't *really* have to worry about them sticking their head through it and dying. I have had chickens much smaller than turkey poults hatch days early, before I even thought to lockdown the incubator, and they weren't killed by the turner.

If you are super worried about the turner, you can attempt what some people do when they have to help a bird hatch. Make the room that the incubator is in super humid, open the incubator for as little time as possible, just enough to snatch the poult, and close it.

 

[DeannaOR]

Will the 70% humidity hurt my chicken eggs? I started them on the 7th.
Thanks!
I feel a little better about the turner..I was mostly worried about a leg. I guess I could pull the plug on the turner for a bit, I don't think that would hurt my chicken eggs. Some people only turn a couple times a day.

 

[Kedreeva]

Oops, I didn't realize there were other eggs in there (durr, guess I should have since your turner was going!) However since it's still really early in the incubation for them, I don't think a day or so of higher humidity will kill them. I've done staggered hatches before and the higher humidity doesn't seem to really affect any of the rounds of hatching.

If you decide to pull the plug on the turner, bear in mind that the motor generates heat and it'll drop your incubator temp some.

 

[DeannaOR]

Ok..I put some more water in... it doesn't have a hole..so I was quick. The incubator seems to get back to normal really quickly..which is good. I have no idea how long this takes for turkeys because all the others hatched under Mom. It seems like forever!

 

[DeannaOR]

It's out! Stumbling around making me a nervous wreck. How long until it's dry? Is there enough oxygen in there without me pulling a plug?

 

[Kedreeva]

Grats on your new lil guy You did great! Now the important part- PICS!!

 

[DeannaOR]

 

[DeannaOR]

OK...so, when I got home from work at 8:30 pm this is what I saw.


It's now 12:45am and this is what we have...


I've upped the humidity to 70% and I lightly sprayed the egg with water because the inside layer looked super dry. The poult just seems to be sitting there breathing hard. He doesn't seem to be working at it. Not a lot of peeping..but some. The one that hatched yesterday peeped quite a bit. Is it time to worry...or just let it be?