Hatching turkeys under a broody chicken hen

[ziggywiggy]

I think it might work. I've hatched chickens under turkeys. Why not the other way around? Higher temp maybe? Don't know but, I'd try it. Candle them in a week and see what's happening.
Of course there is one detail I forgot about. What happens when the poults out grow the hen?

 

[Struttn1]

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And now Tom it is my turn to disagree with you. I have put turkey eggs under chickens many times and experienced much higher hatch rates than with either incubators or turkey hens. Hen chickens flat out know how to hatch eggs.

 

[Struttn1]

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If it is a large hen they will be fine but if it is a small bantam you have to keep the brooder ready.

 

[geepy]

My favorite broody hen has hatched chicks, ducks, guineas and quail. Soon as she goes broody she is getting some turkey eggs.

 

[possumhunter]

Okay, forgive my stupidity...but I thought turkey eggs took 28 days to hatch? How do chickens know to set the eggs for the extra week? And if they do, isn't that hard on the chicken? Being an extra week with limited food? I'm still new to the turkey thing and haven't had a broody bird yet, but just wondering how this all works!

Thanks!

 

[Portia]

Chickens will sit, and sit, and sit until something hatches...at least some of them will. Others get their fill after 2-3 weeks and abandon the lot of eggs before they hatch. Because turkey eggs do take longer to incubate you will want to make sure your hen is hearty gal who will sit for the duration. Most hens come off the nest every 1-3 days to go do their business, dust and get a bit of chow...at least the good hatchers do, those that don't won't last the duration or are so weak when the chicks hatch that they aren't able to take care of them very well...or they quickly abandon them. My best hatchers are savvy enough to sit for whatever time it takes and take time out every now and then to assure they remain healthy.

 

[Ariel301]

I just put six partially incubated turkey eggs under a broody hen. She decided three days ago to go broody, so I watched her for two days to be sure she was actually sitting on her nest the whole time. She was, so I stole her golf ball and replaced it with eggs. She sounds like an angry bear any time I walk past her! The eggs are due in two more weeks.

 

[Kekko]

I have two Gold Lace Wyandotte X Buff opington hens that are broody. One is setting on ten turkey eggs and the other is setting on 8 Silver Appleyard duck eggs. I plan on taking the hatch from both of them and moving them to brooders rather than letting the hens try to raise them. Both have been setting for a little over a week now. Last year I had a Silver Lace Wyandotte that set a nest of 12 eggs. About two week into the setting she just got up and walked away. Just by chance there was a Gold Lace that I had been trying to break from going broody so I put her on the eggs. She set for the last week and had ten out of twelve hatch. She made an excellent mother! Everything worked out great. Both hens got their own way and we got the chicks!

 

[houndit]

It depends on the chicken. I have hatched some under an Easter-egger and they did better than my incubator. I refuse to ever let a sexlink set again. I tried it over and over and all I got was ruined eggs.

 

[HappyChickenMom]

update! 4 of the 6 were good and are pipping now! I am so excited. I hope they are all born healthy and will eat and drink. I have a brooder in case though.