New Turkey Mother

[LoneStarHen]

My turkeys started laying around the end of November. They will be a year old in April. I have a bourbon red who IMMEDIATELY went broody as soon as there was the very first clutch of eggs. I don't think they have a high rate of fertility (the boys are still trying to figure out exactly what to do) but I candled them and some of them had embryos in them. I'm not sure if the hen knows exactly what to do, but she has been faithful to her eggs. We will see if any actually hatch. I was just surprised that such a young gal went broody so fast.

 

[Arielle]

Thanks for reporting in-- none of my girls go broody that fast, if at all really,. ( I take all the eggs though). Interesting to see the differences amoung individuals and between lines.

 

[Celie]

I also take all the eggs and incubate them, because when they hatch all of them theirselves, you only get 2 or 3 clutches of eggs, which would br 50 or 60 poults, instead of 150 to 180 in the incubator. I understand from others and all the books I have read that Turkey hens go broody at the drop of a hat! Good luck with your poults. I think when the weather gets warmer, in the spring, I will let some raise their own, since I have 13 hens this year!

 

[LoneStarHen]

Are turkey eggs hard to incubate? I've hatched tons and tons of chickens. I want to feed my incubator addiction and put some turkeys in soon. I figure I'll give it about another month or two. The Toms are finally figuring out what to do.

Broody at the drop of a hat... You're not kidding! I actually had a chicken hen go broody first, so I stuck turkey eggs under her just for fun. The turkey kicked her off of them, finished her clutch, and has been there ever since!

 

[LoneStarHen]

She hatched two poults a couple of days ago. Both got too far from the nest and froze. Three more hatched yesterday and so far are fine. She's pretty vicious when I try to go look at them. We will see if they make it. With my chickens raising chicks they seem to only have a 70% survival rate as opposed to 100% of hand raised.

 

[LoneStarHen]

I forgot to follow up on this. She ended up hatching three more poults who are doing well. Unfortunately they look like they are out of a BBB tom that I had. This makes them BBB/BR crosses. I didn't think he could breed naturally, he was HUGE.

Is the broad breast gene dominant? I guess these three will be for the freezer. Anyway, they're doing fine!

 

[Arielle]

I forgot to follow up on this. She ended up hatching three more poults who are doing well. Unfortunately they look like they are out of a BBB tom that I had. This makes them BBB/BR crosses. I didn't think he could breed naturally, he was HUGE.

Is the broad breast gene dominant? I guess these three will be for the freezer. Anyway, they're doing fine!

Oh lucky you!!!! Let us know how they develop on the breast meat!! Great freezer material, or keep as breeding stock for next generation of meaties.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Congrats on the poults!