Moving Turkeys Nest???

Fluffbutts84

Songster
Aug 26, 2018
119
163
102
Florida
Is it ok to take our turkeys eggs and move them to a more suitable nesting box (more room) and place the hen in the box? Will she leave the nest or still sit on the eggs?
 
I understand that broody turkeys will sit on any nest if it's available and they can't return to the original nesting site. However, I learned this from a youtube video, and have no actual experience with live turkeys (other than the wild sort) so I'll ask people I know have Turkeys:
@R2elk
@ShannonR?
 
Is it ok to take our turkeys eggs and move them to a more suitable nesting box (more room) and place the hen in the box? Will she leave the nest or still sit on the eggs?
You can try. Whether or not it will work depends strictly on your turkey. For best results the eggs should be put in area that you can lock the turkey in with them.

Turkeys for the most part do not like their nests messed with. Just because you think you have a more suitable nest box does not mean that your turkey will agree with you. I do not recommend that you try to put the hen in the nest box. If she struggles against it, you will end up with broken eggs.

Do it in the daylight so she can see what you are doing with her eggs. Do not be surprised if she rejects your solution and instead tries to find a better hidden area for her next nest. The longer she has been broody, the better chance that she will accept the nest being moved but even that is not a guarantee. Putting her in a pen with the nest will also help convince her to stay with the eggs.

If a hen is just starting to lay eggs, seed the desired nest site with a fake egg.
 

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