HELP!! Broody Turkey Hen

[chicklove13]

Hi!!! I've never hatched my own chicks before. I have some questions. My turkey hen has gone Broody. She is sitting on 3 chicken eggs and 4 goose eggs. Today is Day 14. She picked a spot right in the middle of the chicken shed. We have one Adult turkey and 30 adult chickens. I'm worried when they chicks hatch the other hens will kill the babies. I tried to move her to another shed all by herself but she freaked out and wouldn't sit on her eggs. I put her back and she's been sitting on them since. Should I leave her there and just take the babies from her when they hatch? I also read I should have moved her and her eggs in the dark after everyone has gone to bed. So I could try that again. but I also don't want to disturb the eggs this late in the cycle. In the second shed I have three week old turkeys that I bought from the feed store. Do you think I should put the broody turkey and her eggs in with these new baby turkeys? Im also concerned with the fact that the chicken eggs will hatch at 21 days and the goose eggs will hatch at 35 days. I need some advice! Thank you so much in advance!!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Most turkey hens refuse to be moved. I would probably pull the chicks as they hatch or pull the goose eggs and put them in an incubator or under another broody. You do have a mess. After your hen is done incubating she may want to mother the older poults but she might try to kill them too. You will have to figure out what's important to you, the chicks, geese, or the turkey hen. Too much chaos.

 

[chicklove13]

Thank you so much! I was taking the eggs away from her everyday but she wouldn't stop nesting so I just let her do it without thinking it through.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Been there and done that. Hopefully you can figure out what you want to do, and things work out.

 

[chicklove13]

The turkey hen is my best friend. She's the most important. Poor girl.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Then I would see how she manages when the chicks hatch, if they hatch than go from there.

 

[FarmerMac]

If you have room in your coop, you can build a nest in a corner and move her eggs there. Just make sure that she see the nest and eggs so she can sit on them again. I have move my hens in the past without issues. Sometimes I have to move a broody hen from another nest where another hen has laid an egg. The hen comes out to poop and eat a little bit, then she goes back to a nest. Most of the time is her own box but some times she will sees the egg so she thinks is her nest. Good luck with the hatch.