How long do Turkey Hens get off the nest

[AmericanMom]

BR hen has been sitting for at least two weeks, was sleeping on the nest longer but I didn't count those day, started counting the day she stayed on it.. By my calculations she will hatch sometime between the 15th and 20th, this past week I hardly saw her, she was always on the nest except early morning and late afternoon (feeding times)..
For the last two days it seems almost every time I go out to the run I see her, I checked her eggs this morning and there was an extra chicken egg in there but other than that all looks well, I haven't candled for several days as she was always near and I didn't want to disturb her as to get to the eggs I have to almost disassemble her nest (old brooder box with hinged lid)

Is it typical for a hen to be off and on like that? I block off my chicken broodys and release them once a day but didn't do that to the turkey.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If the temperature warms up, they feel they can stay off longer or more often.
I never candle setter's eggs. There's nothing you can do if there's a problem so I just sit on my hands and let them do their thing. Whatever hatches, hatches. Whatever doesn't, doesn't. None of your intervention will affect what hatches unless she completely abandons the nest and you move them to an incubator.

ETA

I know you're aware that turkeys have been doing this for hundreds of thousands of years without our intervention.

 

[AmericanMom]

If the temperature warms up, they feel they can stay off longer or more often.
I never candle setter's eggs. There's nothing you can do if there's a problem so I just sit on my hands and let them do their thing. Whatever hatches, hatches. Whatever doesn't, doesn't. None of your intervention will affect what hatches unless she completely abandons the nest and you move them to an incubator.

ETA

I know you're aware that turkeys have been doing this for hundreds of thousands of years without our intervention.

You stole my line! Haha... Cant tell you how many chicken broody people I have told that too.

I know and I understand we are warmer and sunny today, this weekend we look to hit almost 90 so I'll let it be and just give her credit for doing what her instincts tell her too. ... I am in lockdown on my last set of incubator eggs, Incubator #1 is clean and sterile and put up, once this hatch is over Incubator #2 goes the same way so if hen leaves nest so be it. Were going on Vacation a few days after she is due to hatch, was just hoping I would get to see them before we leave lol

 

[LovedMyAlydar]

Our hen was leaving her nest for days at a time when it was much colder overnight than it is now. Then she decided to get serious and set her eggs. Amazingly she hatched all of them. I was really surprised because they were really cold sometimes. But all the little guys I have right now are proof she did a good job. Like mentioned above, they have been doing this for years, I leave her to doing her job.

 

[AmericanMom]

Our hen was leaving her nest for days at a time when it was much colder overnight than it is now. Then she decided to get serious and set her eggs. Amazingly she hatched all of them. I was really surprised because they were really cold sometimes. But all the little guys I have right now are proof she did a good job. Like mentioned above, they have been doing this for years, I leave her to doing her job.

She was off for about 5 hours yesterday, I was back and forth to the run yesterday checking on some chicks so was easy to keep track of her, noticed her out at about 12:30 and didn't see her again at around 6pm... Wasn't in the run this morning either... Its all on her, whether they hatch or not she is in charge lol... Hen #2 wont lay her eggs anywhere but in the coop, finally quit trying to tempt her to another nest and left her eggs along with 2 large wooden eggs, total of 6 and she laid on them last night so thinking she is noticing her nest keeps growing and will decide to sit soon.

 

[LovedMyAlydar]

What might help, and finally helped with ours, is penning her up with her nest. She was stressing because my stupid white leghorn hens would constantly mess with her when she would try to set on her nest and wanted to lay in her nest, not in their coop. So we locked her up and she cried for about a 1/2 hour and then set down on the eggs. She is a nasty girl now if you come near her nest, hissing and vibrating. She won't hurt anybody, just threatening I suppose, but she is a good mama. The stupid white leghorn hens still try to get into her pen everytime we go to feed her. They can really be annoying and very needy chickens, but hey, they were 99 cents at TSC last spring.

 

[AmericanMom]

What might help, and finally helped with ours, is penning her up with her nest. She was stressing because my stupid white leghorn hens would constantly mess with her when she would try to set on her nest and wanted to lay in her nest, not in their coop. So we locked her up and she cried for about a 1/2 hour and then set down on the eggs. She is a nasty girl now if you come near her nest, hissing and vibrating. She won't hurt anybody, just threatening I suppose, but she is a good mama. The stupid white leghorn hens still try to get into her pen everytime we go to feed her. They can really be annoying and very needy chickens, but hey, they were 99 cents at TSC last spring.

I think you hit exactly on the issue, up until yesterday she was left alone to sit her nest, when she was off yesterday I did a quick egg count and she had 12 in stead of 11, Found the not supposed to be there chicken egg, just went out to make sure waterers were full (hot day today) and she was back off, did a peek and caught one of the Jersey Giants exiting her nest and yup, that pesky 12th egg was back

will enclose her when DH gets home

Thanks!

 

[AmericanMom]

I think you hit exactly on the issue, up until yesterday she was left alone to sit her nest, when she was off yesterday I did a quick egg count and she had 12 in stead of 11, Found the not supposed to be there chicken egg, just went out to make sure waterers were full (hot day today) and she was back off, did a peek and caught one of the Jersey Giants exiting her nest and yup, that pesky 12th egg was back

will enclose her when DH gets home

Thanks!

Ok, so enclosing her into her run, epic failure.. No way was she having it, she freaked out, in and out of the nest, I thought at one point she calmed down but heard her an hour later, walked out and she had eggs scattered everywhere. She was pacing and calling and the tom was on the other side pacing and calling right along with her.. I went ahead and just opened her run and she calmed right down... While she was in the main run I set things back to order.. Extra egg again... hmm, what I thought were chicken eggs were spot free turkey eggs.. She has been laying again the last several days lol, Thought for sure all was lost as she had fouled the nest and the eggs but candled and all showed good movement and veining!! From now on I am leaving her be, I'll pull the extra egg she lays but she is doing just fine without my "help"