How are everyone's turkey nests doing?

[Chickygirl55]

I'm not that good with those breeds, but could they be Narragansetts? If so, they would be fertile eggs. I believe the "fertility" problem with BBBs is just that physically, the male is too huge-breasted to mount the hens. Have you seen these 2 breeding? If so, they're probably fertile.

So yes i have seen them mating. Its been ten days and she is still sitting on the chicken eggs, havent checked if she broke any yet. We are thinking bout candeling them tonight will let you guys know what happens.

 

[chickenannie]

I'm glad I took those pics because the little buggers are getting big already! They get a really yellow color -- not sure why!

Good luck with your hatching hen.

I got into a problem myself now, because one of my hens laid a nest in the pasture grass and I can't find her to pen her up with her eggs. She's so sneaky. The grass is NEVER this high because the cows always munch it down short, but due to the rainy weather and several other factors the cows have not been out and my pasture looks like a prairie with 3 foot grass! I've tried looking but darn if that girl didn't hide herself well.

 

[Chickygirl55]

Ya we candled 4 of them and 2 of them had some chicks growing i think. Guess we will see what happens!

Good luck finding your hen, Man poultry can always suprise you lol there is always something happening with them lol.

 

[chickenannie]

Quote:
Uh-oh, I looked and looked and looked for that hen for 3 days in a row, and couldn't find her hiding spot. Today I saw feathers down by the creek. I think i lost her to a darn fox.

The little babies are doing great, though.

 

[chickenannie]

Hi everyone,
Just got back from vacation... any more turkey hatches?? Any updates?

My hen I thought I lost to a fox is doing fine! She's sitting on a nest in a thicket concealed with huge thistles and prickly plants -- smart girl! She'll be due in about 2 weeks, I think. Woo hoo!

My other 8 poults are doing great and have their wing feathers growing in, so they're becoming little flyers! So cute, but they'll outgrow their pen soon and I'll have to move them.

 

[RuffTuffCreampuff]

Our RP hen hatched out about 13 babies, maybe 14....hard to count, they keep moving around...lol.

Pam

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

i'm crossing my fingers and have my 'hope-r' on high... our BR hen who sat after our disastrous hatch has a couple of days to go... maybe thursday?

then, the one poult who hatched under the first hen.. died. very sad. but the first any only poult from our 'bator, Mr Pipps, is thriving!

in other news.. so we couldnt find the 2nd of the two BR hens who got off their nests. and there she was - in a huge pile of poison ivy and brambles in the woods. so we built a triple fence/chicken wire teepee over her, added a tarp to keep the torrential rains off.. and she is going like gangbusters. we think june 25 for her hatch date.

whew. these turks are exhausting!

 

[chickenannie]

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Congratulations on the Mr. Pipps and the nesting hens....! Once they set, I've found they are very dedicated. And those moms are smart, too... about nesting in brambles. I think they lay a few eggs somewhere and then scope it out for a number of days to see if any predators "visit" their eggs.

My hen is hilarious to watch -- when she hops off her nest in the prickly patch she comes tearing up to the barn to eat and poop and then the other hen who is lonely because all her girlfriends are nesting will go berserk making noise, like HEY WHERE YA BEEN I MISSED YOU COME ON LET'S HANG OUT!!! and just sticks to her side. Problem is, when setting hen wants to "sneak back" to her nest she's got pesty lonely hen following her like gangbusters saying NO WAY I'M NOT GONNA LOSE YOU THIS TIME, I'M STUCK TO YOUR SIDE. So setting hen makes all kinds of circles to try to throw her off. This morning it was hilarious to watch her try to sneak off -- she had to run like mad twice to make it work.

I agree, turks ARE exhausting!

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

thanks!!

and that hilarious about your hen! and explains why my hen who's not laying was: on the porch, on the roof, in the front yard, in with the geese, standing at the front door screaming (imagine the cat's reaction....).. etc etc etc. i think she's looking for her buddy!!

i'm really hoping for a good clutch. but if all else fails i ended up with 22 ducklings!!!

 

[chickenannie]

Quote:
Yeah, probably she was either: lonely, or exploring spots to make a nest for herself. They can make a lotta noise when they're looking for turkey buddies.

One morning my lonely hen heard the hen nesting way out in the meadow chirping back to her (this was at like 6 a.m.) and was running around like mad, chirping, then stopping to listen since it was so far away, to figure out where her buddy when was sitting. It was really neat to see , although I wish it hadn't been so darn early.