I think I have a broody!!... can I stick some turkey eggs under her - hatch date the 18th??

[debir1966]

I have been wishing for a broody... and two days ago one of my Buff Orps started staying on the nest at night. This is the 3rd night in a row, but today she switched nest boxes (we have not left any eggs under her, but we do have a golf ball in each nest box).

This morning she got out for quite a while and went and got a drink, a scratch and pecked at a few bugs but was back in the (different) nest box later today.

My question is - I have 20 turkey eggs in the bator that are due to hatch the 18th. Do you think I could stick a few under her even with only 16 days left to hatch?

I also have an order of chicks shipping out the 25th and had considered sticking some of them under her if she was still acting broody by then... had thought about giving her a few more fake eggs to sit on to encourage her to stay broody until the chicks arrive.

I have read several threads on broody hens and everyone seemed to agree if they were sitting on the nest at night, it was definitely a sign of being broody - but her extended trips out of the nest and then switching boxes has me wondering if she IS indeed broody or not LOL.

Any advise and/or input would be greatly appreciated

 

[Den in Penn]

They sometimes forget which nest they are brooding in. If you can lessen her confusion it to the best. The turkeys eggs should work out. Or giving her fakes until the chicks arrive could work too. If she stays broody. With warmer temperature they don't have to stay on the nest as much to keep them warm They tend to take longer breaks then.

 

[debir1966]

Den in Penn: Thank you for the reply. She was on the nest last night and stayed on this morning when I let the chickens out to range. How many days should I let her set before sticking the turkey eggs under her? She is setting on one golf ball right now LOL.

 

[Den in Penn]

Any time, but I would watch her to make sure she stay with it. I also would put only a limited amount under the first time mom, say four. Maybe someone else has some experience with chickens brooding turkeys and can give you a better number of eggs.

 

[debir1966]

Well, we moved all the golf balls under her and she stayed on the same nest for 3 days consistently. We finally got a flashlight and candled the turkey eggs and only 1 was viable! Over half of them were not even fertilized LOL. (a friend of my Dads gave him the eggs assuring him they were all fertile).

So I took the egg out a couple night ago, removed the golf balls and slipped it under the broody. She stayed in the same box all day, but that evening when we went to lock up the chickens, she had switched boxes again and was sitting on a fresh egg! We are having a heat wave (100+) so I know the egg didn't cool off too much.

I put the egg back under her and added 3 golf balls hoping that it would help with her nest confusion, but again, the next evening after sitting in the correct nest all night, she once again switched to a nest with a single fresh egg!

Arg, frustrating LOL. I do not have another pen or coop to put her in, so I am just going to hope for the best. If the turkey egg does not hatch, I am going to either break her from being broody or I may try and slip some of my new chicks under her that are due to arrive the 27th (but first I have to get her on the floor in a box or crate).