My turkey just hatched some chicks

[Myah1011]

I let my turkey hatch out some chicken eggs, and they just hatched today. She seems very very overprotective of them and has been pecking me non stop today when I try to look. I also hear her chirping back to them and she seems overall happy! The issue I have is that I put on of her chicks in front of her and she would lightly peck her every once and a while, I think she was just trying to put the chick under her again and didn’t know what to do but I want to make sure she wasn’t trying to hurt the chick. She was also shuffling a lot in front of the chick so I really think she was just trying to get the chick under her again. Would this behavior be okay though? I don’t want her to hurt the chicks especially since they just hatched but she seems well intentioned.

 

[R2elk]

Chicks and poults have different instincts. Chicks also don't speak or understand turkey.

It is possible for a turkey hen to raise chicks but they do end up imprinted and think they are turkeys.

My recommendation is to put the chicks in a brooder. The hen will miss and call for them but she will get over it.