MIXING EGGS IN ONE NEST

[FARKESU]

Its devastating to find out that my turkey hens (two of them) are mixing eggs in one nest. It surprised me to see that they started laying eggs the same day at the same nest. Moreover, am afraid that the hens are four and already two have started laying in the same nest, possibly the third and the fourth may follow suit. If anybody has any experience should please share it with me for guidance.
Thank you fellows!

 

[R2elk]

Its devastating to find out that my turkey hens (two of them) are mixing eggs in one nest. It surprised me to see that they started laying eggs the same day at the same nest. Moreover, am afraid that the hens are four and already two have started laying in the same nest, possibly the third and the fourth may follow suit. If anybody has any experience should please share it with me for guidance.
Thank you fellows!

This is very common. The problem happens when two or more of them go broody at the same time and try to sit on the nest together. The shared nest by broodies does not usually end well especially if there are more than two hens. There are just too many legs moving around and sometimes with the pushing and shoving eggs get broken and newly hatched poults can get squashed.

Fortunately not all of the turkeys will go broody at the same time. I "seed" other desirable nest sites with fake eggs which usually helps to get the hens choosing individual nests.

Of course if you are collecting the eggs rather than leaving them for a hen to go broody it can be very desirable to have them all laying in the same nest.

Good luck.

 

[FARKESU]

Thanks @R2elk

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Of course if you are collecting the eggs rather than leaving them for a hen to go broody

Not sure about turkeys... but many chickens will lay in the same nest and they have to wait their turn even when other nest are available.

Thing is they DON'T care whether you collect the eggs or not. I collect eggs every single day. Sometimes more than once. And I still have more than my fair share of broody's. It's completely hormonal. If a lower pecking order girl is broody in the box a higher girl wants in, she's gonna take it and peck the other girl until she leaves.

I used to think that people who had unwanted broodiness simply weren't collecting their eggs. Boy have I been proven how mistaken I was!

I do think seeding the other nests with fake (or real) eggs is a good idea to invite others to lay there. They think it must be safe if others are laying there as well.

Again, my experience is with chickens so apologies if it doesn't translate to turkeys....

@FARKESU Hope you are enjoying BYC!

 

[FARKESU]

Am grateful @EggSighted4Life I don't take the eggs i want them to hatch them themselves.

 

[FARKESU]

I really am enjoying being here cause I grasp many ideas and guidance with regards my little flock of turkeys and guineas.

 

[R2elk]

Thing is they DON'T care whether you collect the eggs or not. I collect eggs every single day.

Again, my experience is with chickens so apologies if it doesn't translate to turkeys....

If a person takes all the eggs everyday, a turkey will quickly abandon the nest and do her best to find a "better" place to hide her eggs. The "better" place in her mind is one where the egg thief cannot find it and may be a far worse place as far as safety goes.

In order to keep the hen laying in the same nest at least one egg or a fake egg must be left in the nest. Turkeys can often recognize that an egg is fake and can reject fake eggs. I use ceramic goose eggs and one of my hens will kick out any fake eggs that are placed in her nest.

 

[FARKESU]

Wonderful! I really appreciate this contribution. Thank you.

 

[FARKESU]

In the meantime I, yesterday discovered that one of my turkey hen is wounded at the back during mating. I now restricted the male until it get healed. Can this be prevented? @EggSighted4Life

 

[R2elk]

In the meantime I, yesterday discovered that one of my turkey hen is wounded at the back during mating. I now restricted the male until it get healed. Can this be prevented? @EggSighted4Life

You can try using a turkey saddle. Other options are to make sure that you only have one tom with the hens since one of the causes of mating injuries is when one tom knocks another off of the hen's back. Also check the tom's toenails and trim them so that they are not razor sharp.