my turkeys keep pushing hay over their eggs? is this normal?

[chickenannie]

I keep clearing the hay off the top of the turkey eggs (it's a thin layer) so I can count the eggs, and now I'm thinking that maybe this is turkey behavior, and they're trying to "hide" their nest. But if they hide their eggs under a thin layer of hay, won't they forget where it is?

Any one know about this?

 

[IrkanInvader89]

Hmmm, I've never had my turkeys do this, but it sounds like they may be doing it on purpose. Turkeys are pretty intelligent birds (Despite popular belief) so I doubt they would forget where the nest is. However, is it possible that the turkeys are just kicking the hay on the eggs while scratching around?

 

[chickenannie]

Yeah, maybe, but it's happened every single day for the past 10 days, exactly the same amount of hay.

 

[DuckLady]

That is perfectly normal. Sometimes my ducks do that and my geese always cover their eggs. It is just some deep seated instinct.

 

[jkcove08]

Your turkeys are doing a totally normal thing. They are hiding thier eggs from predators. They dont know that the eggs will be safe and that is what they do to hide them. they will continue to do this until there are enough eggs to start one towards broodiness. Watch them when they get broody, she will get pretty mean.

Good luck, Jenn

 

[wilds of pa]

Yup this is normal, my wild turkeys do that with leaves and small twigs, then when they have enough they will sit if i let them.

TIP: When i first start getting eggs every spring, i like to take a wooden egg that is painted just like a turkey egg and i put it in a nice nesting place in the brush in there flight pen and the turkeys will start laying there eggs there so the eggs arent layed every old place in the flight run. Makes life more fun when trying to collect them.

Charlie

 

[chickenannie]

Charlie,
Do you eat the turkey eggs? OR hatch them (when you collect them)?