Royal Palm Hen Won’t Stay on Eggs

[chrismichael]

Hey guys. My hen has laid 11 eggs in 11 days but she won’t stay on them. She’s only a year old & my Tom (same age) stays right by her side, strutting constantly! Is she fertile? Everything I’m reading says turkeys only lay 2-3 eggs a week. Ive saved all the eggs & have been keeping them warm under a light. I’ve attached a pic of her, & her Tom. Any suggestions on encouraging her to go broody? Thanks in advance!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Apart from setting the eggs in a nest and makingbit in a sheltered area, you can't do anything about whether a bird goes broody. And palms will lay more eggs than 2 or 3 a week. Mine were champs back when I had them

 

[chrismichael]

Apart from setting the eggs in a nest and makingbit in a sheltered area, you can't do anything about whether a bird goes broody. And palms will lay more eggs than 2 or 3 a week. Mine were champs back when I had them

So there’s a good chance her eggs aren’t fertile, she’s just laying every day? She goes to the same secluded spot every day to lay.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

So there’s a good chance her eggs aren’t fertile, she’s just laying every day? She goes to the same secluded spot every day to lay.

They're likely fertile if he's breeding her. She just may not be ready to brood

 

[R2elk]

You need to make sure that the tom does not have access to the nest. When she is ready to go broody, she will go broody. First year layers aren't always the best broodies.

 

[RedwoodTurkey]

Maybe she feels like she wants a clutch of 20 before she sits lol

 

[Bo Garrett]

I noticed you said you have saved the eggs, for her to go broody you need to leave the eggs in the nest or she will just continue to lay. If you have no means of artificial incubation then you need to put the eggs back. Once she lays a complete clutch which could be up to 16 eggs then she will begin to sit on them. As R2elk stated keep her nest protected from the tom so he does not try to breed her while she is brooding the eggs. Just be patient with her, God has designed her to do what she is supposed to do, we sometimes get in too big of a hurry and don't let the natural course of things take place as they should.

Blessings,

Bo