Help!Neighbour just brought me 11 wild turkey eggs from abandoned nest

[Adri]

I really need some voices of experience. I hope it's not too late for these eggs. The neighbouring farmer was plowing his field for potatoes and the turkey had her nest at the edge of the field. He slowed down as he came towards her hoping she wouldn't leave but she did at the last moment. He put a stick on top of the nest and left the eggs overnight and came back this morning to see if the turkey had returned. She had not. He knew that we had hatched out 2 chicks out of 11 from our son's science fair incubator so he stuck them in his shirt and brought them over.

As I was pulling out the incubator I remembered that 5 of my buff catalanas have been trying to go broody on me. I put the eggs in the incubator to keep them warm for now. I set up a cage in my garage with a nest full of golf balls. I got my "broodiest" hen and put her in. She refused to sit on it. So I went and got my next broodiest and put her in the cage and the first hen looked at her sister hen and immediately claimed the nest first. That got me wondering, would it be better if I leave both hens in there to share duties?

How long should I wait to put the eggs into the nest

Should I candle the eggs tonight or leave them be?

 

[Goose and Fig]

Candle them if you can- but our turkey eggs are sooo hard to see through. They are really hard/dense shelled. No harm done if you let the hens sit for a while. If the eggs aren't any good- they might end up rolling them out. I'd put them under the girls as soon as they seem content to stay put.

Wild turkey chicks are so cute! They almost look like little mallards with their stripes.

 

[walkswithdog]

No. Sharing generally isn't a good thing. Some broodies will, but since one is showing little interest all you're going to do is have problems and ONE will get the job done, that's the way nature made the process.

 

[spook]

If I were you, keep the variety of bird under your hat, sometimes its illegal to interfere with nature, nature in this case being they were left to die.
FYI (not 100% sure) these eggs should go to a "proffessional" wild life rehabilitator. Atleast I believe its like that in Maine as we are not even able to purchase Eastern Wild Turkeys to raise for our own flock.
Not only that, like our hens, they "collect" eggs prior to sitting. Enjoy them and make sure you post photos!!

 

[Adri]

Thank you!

Can I put all 11 eggs under one hen? Something just came up in a google search saying that a hen can handle 4 or 5 turkey eggs only. If so should I try 1/2 of them in the incubator and 1/2 under the hen? Or set up 2 nests?

I've never seen a wild poult. But I never expected our white turkeys to be as cute as they are, in an awkward kind of way. My husband likes they way they peer over the sides of their brooder at him when he's working in his woodshop.

 

[Adri]

Spook, Oh, I didn't even think about that. I will look into that for my area. The turkey was definitely already sitting prior to being disturbed.

 

[spook]

Well, more then likely they have succumbed OR thriving! Its hard to comprehend how long eggs can be left "cool" and be fine. When the weather gets above 80's sometimes a broody will wander off to set in the coolest moist dirt she can find and leave the eggs for a while. Not over night tho.
Pop them in 1/2 incu. & broodie, then if she hatches any, and you do, give her all the babies to teach. God only knows about these things! (and he doesn't even intend on giving us a clue! LOL) But I would love to see pictures!

 

[Adri]

Thanks. From what I have read online and heard from others, we have not violated any laws in our area. It is my understanding that if they were not considered a game bird, then it would be illegal. Wild turkeys were re-introduced to our area and have since risen to unprecedented numbers and farmers are encouraged to hunt them here as a way of keeping populations under control.

As for my broody hens, I've given up on them. DH suggested setting up two nests in neighbouring dog cages and having 1/2 of the eggs under each. I tried this tried replicating their nests in the coop, and first neither hen would sit. Finally one sat until her sister started squawking at her and she jumped up and crushed one of the eggs. So I gave up on my broody hens and put all of the remaining eggs into the not-so-successful incubator (20% hatch rate last time). *SIGH* I hope that all of the ruckus didn't do even more damage to the eggs. I guess it's still better than if the neighbour had left the eggs for the raccoons and foxes to get.