half broody hen??

[WHISTLER]

i have a royal palm hen who will set on eggs all day and then at dark will return to the roost for the night then in the morning she does the same thing over again, shes not just setting shes hissing and being protective of the nest. i was just wondering if she will go fully broody or continue this until shes done wanting to set on eggs?

 

[Alexander]

Well,my broody never did this she went fully broody at once.I don't know about yours.Wait and see.Does she have any eggs in the nest?

 

[chikibabe]

im new to turkeys and just learning about all their wonderfull and unique behaviour traits. Ive learnt that turkeys are one of the hardest poultry birds to raise naturally, because of their broodyness or in some lack of. Perhaps if the eggs are fertile it may make a difference to her.
It may break the golden rule of keeping turkeys and chickens together, but sumtimes they say to keep a clucky broody chicken usually bantams, possibly silkie are the best at it, to sit on the eggs for her when she isnt interested.
Good luck, i hope she sits and sets for you. Also keep us posted to what happens.

 

[chikibabe]

another thought maybe for her, would be a nesting box raised off the ground. The only other thing i can think of is that she feels safe at night resting high above ground level. So maybe for her a tree house nesting box so to speak, but sumhow a box maybe with a ramp up to it, however atleast sumwhere near the height she likes to roost at night.

 

[jackietheturkeylover]

My turkey did the same thing. If the eggs are not fertilized you can take away her eggs (which go great in cake I might add) she will stop. But after awhile she'll stop laying... or at least that's what my turkey did

 

[jackietheturkeylover]

Quote:
I don't find turkeys at all hard to take care of, but i guess it depends on how many u have raised

 

[chikibabe]

Quote:
I don't find turkeys at all hard to take care of, but i guess it depends on how many u have raised

I just seem to keep reading in books not a beginners bird, fussy eaters, hard to get a hen to sit full term and things along those lines.
Of course the old saying is dont beleve everything you read, so Im not letting it turn me away, i find the turkey an interesting and beautifull animal. Experience is everything and theory only takes you so far. So thats why im here to learn all i can, and hopefully learn sum good practices from experienced people.. Atleast here at byc unlike a book you can ask questions. I guess raising turkeys is like going to school, some breeze through it with top marks, and some need a little extra help to get their grades up, some pass, some fail.

 

[ivan3]

Completely normal. Will, in her turkey mind, go broody when the `magic' number is reached. Had an RP hen who was sneaking off during the day but would fly straight up off her nest, out in the woods, and glide on in to forage/roost with the rest of the flock in the evenings (made it easy to run down and destroy that unauthorized nest).

While broody they'll leave their nests for short periods on warm days to dirt bathe and pick around. Will also leave nest to carry `bad' eggs to some distance from the nest.

 

[greenbird]

My hen is very similar, she will sit them for a day and night and then some of the next day, but not that night