Both our turkey hens went broody a couple of weeks ago. Both were nesting in their predator proofed chainlinked pen. The gate was open during the day when one of us was here, but locked every evening. What we didn't count on was the Royal hen working on a secondary nest (during the day and on the sly) thirty yards out in the woods (she was back every evening for lockdown and was around most of the day).
She was attacked, during the day, while out on her secret nest. As it rained most of last week, any blood was washed away and she was back on her protected clutch in the evening (didn't suspect she was injured). By Sunday morning I noticed that she'd flown back into the main pen (six ft. fence) and was standing with her wings held low in the turkey shed and I thought she was just avoiding the rain but, after thirty minutes of not changing position, I went out to check. I picked her up and was immediately hit with the smell of rotting flesh and noticed tiny maggots working the back of her neck (no injury apparent, however). We placed her in the bathtub and poured warm water/betadine solution over her. The maggots and dead skin just fell off in clumps! She'd been terribly gashed on the right side and was chewed up badly on the left - how she'd managed to clear the fence that morning is beyond me. We had only one option and took it without hestitation (couldn't let her suffer any longer).
I disovered what was left of her nest that afternoon (five broken eggs, two small clumps of feathers). When I returned with one of the havaharts that evening, the eggshells and feathers were gone! Caught nothing that night, but when I checked at about six the following evening there was Mr.Coon in the trap - fresh spoor with white bits of feather in it. A coon on an afternoon schedule.
So long, Miss Hiss, you fly on through my dreams - you lap turkey, you!
Miss Hiss on the wing summer `05
She was attacked, during the day, while out on her secret nest. As it rained most of last week, any blood was washed away and she was back on her protected clutch in the evening (didn't suspect she was injured). By Sunday morning I noticed that she'd flown back into the main pen (six ft. fence) and was standing with her wings held low in the turkey shed and I thought she was just avoiding the rain but, after thirty minutes of not changing position, I went out to check. I picked her up and was immediately hit with the smell of rotting flesh and noticed tiny maggots working the back of her neck (no injury apparent, however). We placed her in the bathtub and poured warm water/betadine solution over her. The maggots and dead skin just fell off in clumps! She'd been terribly gashed on the right side and was chewed up badly on the left - how she'd managed to clear the fence that morning is beyond me. We had only one option and took it without hestitation (couldn't let her suffer any longer).
I disovered what was left of her nest that afternoon (five broken eggs, two small clumps of feathers). When I returned with one of the havaharts that evening, the eggshells and feathers were gone! Caught nothing that night, but when I checked at about six the following evening there was Mr.Coon in the trap - fresh spoor with white bits of feather in it. A coon on an afternoon schedule.
So long, Miss Hiss, you fly on through my dreams - you lap turkey, you!
Miss Hiss on the wing summer `05
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