Hatching Rio Grande Turkey Eggs?

[rtowerbay]

I've ordered fertile Rio Grande wild turkey eggs to incubate this year from two different sources.

Before anyone says "It's illegal!", I can assure you, these eggs are from legal breeders and it is legal for me to hatch and raise them in my state.

I have two questions;

1) Has anyone here successfully hatched Rio Grande turkey eggs?

2) Did you do anything different from your regular incubator settings for chickens? (Except that turkey eggs typically take 28 days vs. 21 days for chickens.)

I would greatly appreciate hearing of anyone's personal experience!

By the way, there's a great book by Joe Hutto, called 'Illumination In The Flatwoods'. It's the story of how he hatched wild turkey eggs from two 'abandoned' nests. He intentionally imprinted the hatchlings by opening the incubator as they hatched and making sure he was the first living thing they saw after hatching. He would lock eyes with them before removing them. A truly amazing story.

 

[R2elk]

By the way, there's a great book by Joe Hutto, called 'Illumination In The Flatwoods'. It's the story of how he hatched wild turkey eggs from two 'abandoned' nests. He intentionally imprinted the hatchlings by opening the incubator as they hatched and making sure he was the first living thing they saw after hatching. He would lock eyes with them before removing them. A truly amazing story.

Which he did illegally and moved out of Florida to escape legal repercussions.

He also told of the imprinted wild toms attacking him once they were adults.

It really isn't a good idea to human imprint poults.

Before anyone says "It's illegal!", I can assure you, these eggs are from legal breeders and it is legal for me to hatch and raise them in my state.

Just because it is legal to have purchased the eggs and hatched them in your state does not tell us if you have the permit required.

I've ordered fertile San Jose wild turkey eggs to incubate this year from two different sources.

I have found no references indicating this is a recognized variety.

Did you do anything different from your regular incubator settings for chickens? (Except that turkey eggs typically take 28 days vs. 21 days for chickens.)

For turkey eggs, I use 99.5°F as the temperature setting in a forced air incubator and mid 30% humidity. I move the eggs on day 25 to a hatcher with 65% to 70% humidity,

 

[rtowerbay]

I have found no references indicating this is a recognized variety.

My apology! I should have said 'Rio Grande'. I've edited my post.

For turkey eggs, I use 99.5°F as the temperature setting in a forced air incubator and mid 30% humidity. I move the eggs on day 25 to a hatcher with 65% to 70% humidity,

Thank you! That's what I was looking for.

 

[rtowerbay]

Just for reference, here is the Kansas statute for importing poultry and eggs into Kansas. Also note, any 'native' species is not considered 'exotic' in Kansas and thus does not require a permit.

"Turkey poults under four (4) months of age, and other poultry under five (5) months of age, and poultry hatching eggs, may be brought, shipped, or imported into Kansas, without health certificates, if such poults and poultry and eggs originate in flocks, or are distributed from hatcheries or premises:

(a) where the flock owner or hatchery owner is participating in the national turkey improvement plan and the national poultry improvement plan, whichever is applicable; or (b) where the flock owner or hatchery owner is operating under supervision of a disease control agency of the state of origin and has been and is classified as U.S. pullorum-typhoid clean.
Waterfowl and waterfowl hatching eggs may be brought, shipped, or imported into Kansas, without meeting the above requirements:

(a) if not consigned to, or if not delivered to, an approved national plan hatchery; or (b) if not consigned to, or if not delivered to, a hatchery handling domesticated fowl and hatching eggs.
Kan. Admin. Regs. § 9-9-3"

 

[R2elk]

Wild turkeys do not fall under the poultry regulations. They fall under the game and fish or DNR regulations which are different from the agriculture department.

They would not be considered exotics, they would be considered game birds.

 

[TexasBlues]

I've ordered fertile Rio Grande wild turkey eggs to incubate this year from two different sources.

Before anyone says "It's illegal!", I can assure you, these eggs are from legal breeders and it is legal for me to hatch and raise them in my state.

I have two questions;

1) Has anyone here successfully hatched Rio Grande turkey eggs?

2) Did you do anything different from your regular incubator settings for chickens? (Except that turkey eggs typically take 28 days vs. 21 days for chickens.)

I would greatly appreciate hearing of anyone's personal experience!

By the way, there's a great book by Joe Hutto, called 'Illumination In The Flatwoods'. It's the story of how he hatched wild turkey eggs from two 'abandoned' nests. He intentionally imprinted the hatchlings by opening the incubator as they hatched and making sure he was the first living thing they saw after hatching. He would lock eyes with them before removing them. A truly amazing story.

There’s a good film about that.

 

[Molpet]

There’s a good film about that.

My cousin seen this when I first got turkeys and kept warning me about how turkey boy turned. Of course it turned out I had bought 8 weeks old imprinted jakes that attacked me at 6 months