Illinois...

[Molpet]

Everyone of my turkeys have gone broody every year at least once, a couple twice

 

[Faraday40]

I don't see how much easier it can get letting a bird hatch eggs for herself. No machine to tend to.

Very true if you have the right hen!

 

[Faraday40]

Did it turn the turkey eggs?
A friend was thinking about getting it and when the company was asked they said it wasn't for turkey

Depends on the turkey/duck egg and if you like playing musical eggs. In set up, I had to move the turkey eggs around because even though the slots looked the same size, an egg would turn in one spot but not another. Basically I had to alternate narrow and wide eggs. Occasionally two wider eggs next to each other would get stuck and slide rather than roll. So, if your friend wants to hatch turkey and chicken eggs (or just less turkey eggs) it would work. It sets itself for 21 days, but the counter can easily be changed. The egg turner stops automatically for the last few days of countdown.

I also tried quail. Again the counter was easily adjusted, but the turning was an issue. It only worked if each quail egg had its own slot. Who incubates only 22 quail eggs at a time? LOL

 

[Faraday40]

She tried pecking me a couple times. I quickly grabbed her and tossed her into the run to get food and drink. I even pinned her down. She doesn't go after the others and everyone climbs in and has eggs for her to gather which she loves doing. I do cover my fingers but by habit now. I have a leghorn that swears my fingers are her worms. My OE or other breeds haven't even thought about being broody. Only the Australorps have. I guess their coop is made just right for them to want babies.

I find that broodiness is contagious. Many of my orps don't bother hatching, but a few have been good mothers. It's my bantams (aka "useless chickens") that want to over-populate the world with poultry. One goes broody, steals every egg she sees, and when the others hear the peeping chicks, they decide to start the broody process. On the bright side, they'll happily hatch and raise whatever kind of eggs you give them.

Last summer my poults went to a serama mama. Those were the sweetest turkeys yet. They stayed by her side long after I kicked them out of the bantam coop. They would literally hang out on top of the bantam tractor so they could be near their mama. It was cute at 6, 8, 10 weeks old. However, when they reached 15lbs, the chicken wire was sagging under their weight!

 

[STACEYH]

It's my bantams (aka "useless chickens") that want to over-populate the world with poultry.

 

[SnootyHen]

I have a house chicken today. This morning when I did my morning farm chores, Ginger wasn't her usual friendly, eager self. She didn't want to leave the roost. Eventually, I took her down so she'd eat before the others got all the good stuff. Just went out to thaw the water and she's puffed up huge and hardly moving. She does have a bit of frostbite on her comb but as a RIR, I'm not surprised. Usually my Leghorn gets a little but she hasn't yet this year. I brought Ginger in to thaw a bit and hoping she is back to normal once she warms up. She has some poop stuck on her back (dangers of not being on the highest roost) and I wonder if that prevented her from puffing up as much as she needed to. Poor love is quite content to sit on my lap wrapped in a towel right now.

 

[Molpet]

I have a house chicken today. This morning when I did my morning farm chores, Ginger wasn't her usual friendly, eager self. She didn't want to leave the roost. Eventually, I took her down so she'd eat before the others got all the good stuff. Just went out to thaw the water and she's puffed up huge and hardly moving. She does have a bit of frostbite on her comb but as a RIR, I'm not surprised. Usually my Leghorn gets a little but she hasn't yet this year. I brought Ginger in to thaw a bit and hoping she is back to normal once she warms up. She has some poop stuck on her back (dangers of not being on the highest roost) and I wonder if that prevented her from puffing up as much as she needed to. Poor love is quite content to sit on my lap wrapped in a towel right now.

Prayers she perks up.

 

[SnootyHen]

She's trying to nap but Luna is going crazy because there is a chicken in her spot.

 

[SnootyHen]

So after a couple of hours in the house wrapped in a towel on my lap, I put her in the bath tub with some food and water and she went for it immediately. Her coloring looks a little better now too. I'd like to give her a bath to get the poop off of her so she can puff up better next time but do you think the water will be too much for her after she just thawed out? And would you keep her in the house for the night or put her back out there at bed time? I hate to keep her away from the flock too long so they don't pick on her when she gets back, but it is going to be below zero tonight.

 

[STACEYH]

So after a couple of hours in the house wrapped in a towel on my lap, I put her in the bath tub with some food and water and she went for it immediately. Her coloring looks a little better now too. I'd like to give her a bath to get the poop off of her so she can puff up better next time but do you think the water will be too much for her after she just thawed out? And would you keep her in the house for the night or put her back out there at bed time? I hate to keep her away from the flock too long so they don't pick on her when she gets back, but it is going to be below zero tonight.

I would keep her in after putting water on her. You could clip the poop off with scissors and put her out at bed time.