How many turkey eggs in nest before they begin setting?

[Kev]

Wait and see if she goes back or roosts somewhere away from nest tonight. Some hens can be flaky but others can and will quit if she has been bothered while on the nest on her first few days. If the eggs are still all intact and same in number and she roosts away from nest over night, she probably flaked. Never had that happen with my hens but that's not to say none will.

I still do not recommend having food and water near the nest. It's probably less of a problem with confined turkeys.. BUT if the coop has a rodent problem, it's still not a good idea.. it will just attract the rats and mice to bother her over the night.

Bobbie, did the hens poop on the nest? Are you absolutely sure they never left the nest? Even so, it is far better to simply pick up the hens and make them excerise and eat away from the nest. It won't do her or the eggs much good if her muscles are allowed to atrophy. 26-28 days is simply too long to let a hen to go without ever at least standing up.

I've pretty much trained my hens(both turkey and chickens) that aren't in individual pens, to come off the nest when I am feeding. If I see one that didn't come off, I just go over and scoop them off the nest and carry her over to where the food is. If she tries to go back without eating or at least pooping, I stand by the nest until she at least shakes, flaps and poops. In the individual pens I simply check to see if she has eaten the food or at least left a pile of new broody poop.. evidence she has left the nest even if I never saw her off the nest.. that has happened before- never saw a particular hen off the nest however she left "evidence" that she did..

 

[chickenannie]

Well, the turkey hen spent the night roosting in a tree with the other hens, but was on the nest again this morning, but I'm not sure if she's just laying an egg or setting.

I could close the door to the building she's nesting in... It's a big corn crib about 20 x 30 feet with barn rafters above, to keep her from getting out, if that would help encourage her to keep sitting. That would give her some privacy, but then she wouldn't be able to go outside and eat grass or be in the sunshine or anything. should I "lock" her in with the nest?

Also, every Friday I have to lock the other 4 hens and 1 tom in that building because they go across the road and bother the vendors at a Friday market otherwise. Will that disturb her too much -- to have her flock of 5 in with her near where she's setting?

 

[chickenannie]

Hi all,
Thought I would update you on my 5 RB hens.

Two hens are now setting round the clock on 2 nests in a barn building (hen #1 has 25 eggs) and hen #2 is nesting on concrete which seems awfully uncomfortable, but she chose the spot and I couldn't access her spot to put down some hay without freaking her out.

Hen #3 was laying in hen #1's nest initially and now sometimes she's in there sitting next to hen #1. I don't know if they're fighting over eggs or what, but I think at some point hen #3 will go broody next to Hen #1. There have been some freezing nights (32 F) since they've been laying so I really don't know if the eggs are ok, but I've deciding to wait and see. Part of me wants to intervene, but part of me says to let the hens instincts do their work.

On Sunday I built 2 new nests since the other hens seem to be looking for a place to lay. The very next morning hen #4 started laying in the nest I made (it's in a small decorative wagon on my front porch where she goes sometimes). she's laid an egg there every day for the past 4 days, so I assume at some point she'll start setting there.

Hen #5 (I think) laid her first egg in a pile of brush on the ground today. It's a very susceptible site so I took her egg indoors for possible incubator hatching.

Today I received my very first HovaBator. It was supposed to be for hatching all those 25 eggs from hen #1! But now that I'm all ready to hatch, the hens are sitting! So I'm not sure how to collect 30 turkey eggs for hatching at this point.

I certainly hope some hatches come out of all of this nerve wracking guessing.

 

[ivan3]

Way to go! Hovabator! Also, pretty heroic getting all your hens to nest in the general vicinity! Our neighbor has had very low hatch rates with early nesters (a considerable number of defective poults as well), but has done quite well with the incubator.

 

[ibpboo]

Thats really cool! 25 eggs under one hen? That sounds like a lot. Do they all fit under her, amazing. I wish you the best of luck with your hatching, how fun. Its fun to let the hens be mama's, maybe just take a few eggs to put in bator.

 

[chickenannie]

Thanks, I think ordering the Hovabator was what made my hens start to nest! Is it worth hatching just 10 turkey eggs if that's all I can get from now on?

I'm also starting to wonder if hen #1 and hen #3 are sharing turns on the same nest. I can't tell them apart.

 

[ibpboo]

Yes, Murphy's law!

I think it is still worth it even if you do only 10 eggs, just the fun and experience makes it worth it!

 

[chickenannie]

ha ha, I've been stealing the egg every day from turkey hen #5 who's been laying a nest in a brush pile (so I can protect them from freezing). Yesterday I thought she'd feel better if I put a fake egg in her now-empty nest. Today she pushed the fake egg out of the nest and rolled it about 5 feet away, as she laid her new egg. I guess she told ME!

 

[ibpboo]

Funny girl, they are smart aren't they

 

[chickenannie]

Yeah, I figured if a golf ball can fool a chicken, surely a fake egg can fool a turkey. Obviously smarter than I (at least in egg recognition)