Freezing temps and eggs outside not being sit on yet

[beanmcnulty]

I think this year it is colder than it was same time last year, I think I only had a day or 2 or below freezing during the turkey egg laying last year, but next week they are calling for below freezing just about every night, my plan was to stop collecting this weekend, and let them have the eggs out there, but I don't think I feel comfortable with the temps. Has anyone tried fooling them with easter eggs or fake eggs of some kind? Can they tell they're pink? (haha) I think I am going to try it and just give them back the real eggs when they go broody. Guess I'll see if it works in a week or 2!

 

[KrisH]

Let us know what happens

RobertH

 

[beanmcnulty]

I will! I had the idea yesterday to use cheap grocery store brown chicken eggs- I'm not using mine as they are worth more

 

[Kate+chicks]

Last night it went below freezing so I covered my eggs up with an extra layer of pine shavings since the 2 hens are laying them inside the "coop" and they are somewhat protected. It never occurred to me to collect them, do the fake egg thing, and then return when they are actually sitting. Good idea! This is our first shot at raising turkeys. It seems that our 2 hens are laying in the same nest...so who will sit? Will they take turns?

 

[beanmcnulty]

Last year, the 2 hens that I had set side by side, on a big pile of eggs, I have 3 this year.

 

[R2elk]

Last night it went below freezing so I covered my eggs up with an extra layer of pine shavings since the 2 hens are laying them inside the "coop" and they are somewhat protected. It never occurred to me to collect them, do the fake egg thing, and then return when they are actually sitting. Good idea! This is our first shot at raising turkeys. It seems that our 2 hens are laying in the same nest...so who will sit? Will they take turns?

It is very likely that the hens will both share the nest and sit on it side by side. It is my experience that they will do a better job by each having their own nest. You can accomplish this by making another nest and moving some of the eggs to the other nest. This should cause one of the turkeys to claim the new nest.

It is very common for all of my turkeys to start laying in one nest. As I find the first eggs, I mark them with a pencil and move them to other nest locations that I have set up. It only takes a few days for the turkeys to begin claiming their own individual nests.