I have a first time broody turkey who has broken up partially twice and changed her nest location twice and generally made me insane. Add that for the first week ten days she wasn't turning her eggs and I at first rescued three eggs, then found that my other turkey had laid in there and I've ended up snatching more.
She's still not turning them well. Since she's been accepting eggs from the other hen, she's got a multitude of dates sitting under her stubborn carcass now. I gave her chicken eggs when I stole the first three in hopes that if she has something hatch, she'll get busy with them and I can loot the rest without freaking her too much.
I candled the one I stole today and it's a bit adhered to one side of the shell. I set it aside in the bator to roll more often than the others.
With any luck at all she'll have something to mother and I'll have living turkey poults despite her fits and starts and mistakes. She broke one egg, I found it cleaned it and patched it but it failed due to bacteria about five days later. Close though.
Been a very long time since I had a first time broody. I am trying to be patient and still end up with some living babies. Patience is easy to counsel and harder to keep.
She's still not turning them well. Since she's been accepting eggs from the other hen, she's got a multitude of dates sitting under her stubborn carcass now. I gave her chicken eggs when I stole the first three in hopes that if she has something hatch, she'll get busy with them and I can loot the rest without freaking her too much.
I candled the one I stole today and it's a bit adhered to one side of the shell. I set it aside in the bator to roll more often than the others.
With any luck at all she'll have something to mother and I'll have living turkey poults despite her fits and starts and mistakes. She broke one egg, I found it cleaned it and patched it but it failed due to bacteria about five days later. Close though.
Been a very long time since I had a first time broody. I am trying to be patient and still end up with some living babies. Patience is easy to counsel and harder to keep.