not just turkeys WILD TURKEYS

[suedagardener]

I found 13 wild turkey eggs almost a month ago. My friends incubated them and 11 hached! I'm so excited. At what age, in weeks, can I put them with my chickens?

someone, anyone pls reply to my regular email, [email protected]

sue

 

[mochicken]

Not sure what state you live in but in Missouri it is illegal to possess a "wild turkey" I would contact your conservation dept to ask.

 

[ColbyNTX]

I think it's illeagle in all states to take turkey eggs from the wild!

 

[suedagardener]

I have friends that raise them

 

[Msbear]

There are wild type easterns that are captive and farm raised and THEN there are real wild animals like turkeys, raccoons, skunks, etc. You are not allowed to hold these wild animals captive and could face some pretty stiff penalties. Im sure momma turkey was super bummed to come back to her nest and find her eggs gone.

eta: I see you're new here. Welcome to BYC!! We're here to help eachother. This is a learning experience. Good Luck with your new babies and just keep in mind next time.. the wild is usually best left in the wild

 

[suedagardener]

thank you, yes very new!!!

 

[Alexander]

Even if you keep them with your chickens they will probably fly away if you free range them.

You know, they are WILD.

 

[blkwdw]

I don't know about your turkeys, but I too, found an abandoned nest (yes, it was abandoned) and hatched out 12 baby easterns, let me tell you, they were wild, wild, wild!!! I raised them until late august, early sept and released them to the wild. I did alot of research and found that the consensus is it will take 3 generations of breeding wild turkeys to get them anywhere tamed down...now on the other hand, if you decide to try to keep them...and yes, it is VERY illegal, you risk contaminating the real wild turkey by exposing these poults to your chickens and then if they get away ( or you need to release them) they will / may carry disease to the wild flock. Think hard and study much before mixing these wild babies with your flock.

I'm just saying...

 

[Lagerdogger]

I think as a group of turkey raisers, we should strive to set a good example. We should never adopt wild turkeys from our local populations. It is a temptation we all face when we see wilds hanging around our flocks. But it is illegal and the risk of mixing the two is too high. Also, nest abandonment can be very hard to determine. If the eggs in a nest are still viable, then the hen hasn't been gone that long, and might return. If she is incubating and quits, there may be a reason, and the eggs should be allowed to die. I know we all love turkeys and want to see them grow up, but the wild turkeys we can buy aren't exactly the wild turkeys in the woods, and we should try to remember that. We raise domesticated birds, and the truly wild ones do not live in coops, pens, and fenced ranges.

The flip side of this is that we should not allow our domestic birds to mix with local populations of wilds. I know some people like to let their birds just wander around their farms. But during breeding times, our domestic turkeys should be contained in areas where wild flocks are present. If a domestic tom mates with a wild hen, the offspring are likely to be much less fit to survive in the wild, and then that hen has wasted her production for that year. If your hen gets mated by a wild tom, the offspring will be flightier, and are less likely to thrive in a domestic environment.

Sorry for the little speech. I will put the soapbox away

 

[SED]

Quote:
Very well spoken. This is the best written explanation that I have seen yet.