Eggs in the incubator

[Willie_moe]

I have never hatched any eggs before. My turkeys started laying eggs about a week ago.

One was laying her eggs in the nesting boxes where the chickens lay their eggs and I kept on the look out on the property for where the other was laying hers.
Well two days ago she disappeared all day and I found her laying on a bunch of eggs.
I moved her nest and her in the hopes I would let her hatch them out but she rejected the new location and started pushing eggs out of the nesting box. So I placed them in the incubator as well.

I decided I am going to stagger the hatch every 7 days so bought a second incubator to place them in at lockdown. With the rate I am getting turkey eggs I am either going to have to start selling them or get another incubator to keep up with their egg production.

each hen is laying an egg a day

Here’s 2 days plus 16 in the incubator

 

[R2elk]

I have never hatched any eggs before. My turkeys started laying eggs about a week ago.

View attachment 2069791
One was laying her eggs in the nesting boxes where the chickens lay their eggs and I kept on the look out on the property for where the other was laying hers.
Well two days ago she disappeared all day and I found her laying on a bunch of eggs.
I moved her nest and her in the hopes I would let her hatch them out but she rejected the new location and started pushing eggs out of the nesting box. So I placed them in the incubator as well.

I decided I am going to stagger the hatch every 7 days so bought a second incubator to place them in at lockdown. With the rate I am getting turkey eggs I am either going to have to start selling them or get another incubator to keep up with their egg production.

each hen is laying an egg a day

View attachment 2069808

Here’s 2 days plus 16 in the incubator

There is no requirement to to try to hatch all of their eggs.

Once I set the first batch of eggs, I let the turkeys set their own eggs in order to get them to stop laying.

 

[nchls school]

If it hasn't been too long you might want to try this. When I discover a turkey nest out and about I take a low plastic tub, place nest and eggs in the tub, leave it at the original location, then when the hen starts to brood I move the tub-nest-eggs-and hen to a cage where the hen can brood safely. I have midget whites and this procedure has worked 100% of the time with the whites and the bronze I used to have. Your hen may/will return to her original nest and it's likely she would accept a tub nest at the original location. Once settled the hen might be moved to a cage where she can't return to her original spot. If you try this use dummy eggs. Once you're sure she has accepted being moved the real eggs can be returned to her. I have move confidence in broody hens than I do in incubators.

 

[Willie_moe]

I have wonderful news and am excited. My first batch of turkey eggs are hatching.

for a little while there I was thinking that they weren’t going to even hatch. After a week in the incubator I candled them and could see the veins forming.

This is the first batch of five batches that I have going. The first four batches are in the incubator and the last one of my turkey hens is hatching them.

About a week and half ago we hada really bad storm and I was without power for 10 hours. Within the first 30 minutes of being without power I had the incubator plugged into my truck and back up and running.

these eggs are coming a little early. Lockdown was supposed to be yesterday but I decided to take care of that a day early and boy am I glad I did. The hatch day is supposed to be Friday but I guess they decided that they had enough time in their eggs.

 

[R2elk]

I have wonderful news and am excited. My first batch of turkey eggs are hatching.

View attachment 2103085

View attachment 2103088

for a little while there I was thinking that they weren’t going to even hatch. After a week in the incubator I candled them and could see the veins forming.

This is the first batch of five batches that I have going. The first four batches are in the incubator and the last one of my turkey hens is hatching them.

About a week and half ago we hada really bad storm and I was without power for 10 hours. Within the first 30 minutes of being without power I had the incubator plugged into my truck and back up and running.

these eggs are coming a little early. Lockdown was supposed to be yesterday but I decided to take care of that a day early and boy am I glad I did. The hatch day is supposed to be Friday but I guess they decided that they had enough time in their eggs.

My turkey eggs normally hatch on day 27.

 

[Willie_moe]

Mine are out on day 26. So it took me by surprise when I got home to them hatching.
The first one is out and drying off and the second is trying so hard. It will be out in the next hour or so.

 

[R2elk]

Mine are out on day 26. So it took me by surprise when I got home to them hatching.
The first one is out and drying off and the second is trying so hard. It will be out in the next hour or so.

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View attachment 2103162

That is an indication that your incubator is running a little too warm.

 

[Willie_moe]

That’s what I was thinking. I have three of the egg thermometers and three hygrometers. It was between 99 and 100.5 with the highest getting to 101. The incubator is one that has a fan in it.

 

[nchls school]

The breed of turkey also plays a part in how long it takes to hatch. I have my first four hatched under a bantam hen; the last one hatched the morning of the 26 day. They're a cross between Royal Palm and Midget White.

Good luck, everyone, with your hatches.

 

[R2elk]

The breed of turkey also plays a part in how long it takes to hatch. I have my first four hatched under a bantam hen; the last one hatched the morning of the 26 day. They're a cross between Royal Palm and Midget White.
View attachment 2103696

Good luck, everyone, with your hatches.

All domesticated turkeys are the breed Turkey. There is no difference in the expected incubation time for any of the different varieties. Some chickens can vary the incubation time required for eggs based on how tightly they sit on the eggs. I had two different broody chicken hens that I would give guinea eggs to hatch. The one hen would always hatch all of the eggs on day 26 while the other hen would hatch all of her eggs on day 28.