Sitting hen(s) question

[egg-stra special chic]

Done it, well ok I didnt but my dad and son did. Took 2 hens out of the nesting box and took some of the eggs out also and put under one of the other hens. She immediately went to the other box. Not sure if I will get any babies from these eggs but we have sure gave it our best shot. As far as the hissing the hens did, you guys were right it was only for show. They did peck at them but that was all. Thanks for all the great advice and I will let you know if I get babies.

 

[egg-stra special chic]

My babies started hatching yesterday. I am so happy.

So far we have 6 that we can count. Does anyone have a clue as to how long it will take them all to hatch??? I do realize that all of them probably wont. Also how long could it be before they start spending a good bit of time out from under the hen???I am just dying to know how many I have for sure. I have put food and water out for them but just unsure if they are eating enough or at all for that matter. Thanks for all the help in advance.

 

[Kekko]

Our two Royal Palms that were setting on the same nest are still hatching chicks a week later. I’ve decided this is a perpetual hatch since. They started out with 32 eggs in the nest, have hatched 14 eggs in a weeks time, the last two this morning. Ten have been alive when I found them, Now the kicker is there are still about forty eggs in the nest so they are still laying eggs in the same nest they are hatching in. I have another incubator coming tomorrow so when I get it set up I’m going to pull all the eggs, candle them to get an idea of what is good and how far along they have developed. Then I can put them into incubators and do my best to hatch out what will hatch. I don’t think next year I’ll let the Turkey hens set any eggs unless I have them penned up separately. Our chickens have been doing great hatching anything we put under them. So far this year the chickens have hatched Turkey, Duck, and Guinea eggs! Oh and a few chicken eggs too!

 

[MikeG]

Thanks all for the Info. Kekko- you mentioned you had success with chickens hatching everything. I have an Australorp sitting on a dozen Turkey Eggs (Spanish, Blue Slate, Royals) since Thursday. I had success with a hatch of chicken eggs but have never did surrogate cross-species.

Do you let the chicken brood the turkeys or do you seperate them into a brooder where you can monitor and maintain food/health, etc. I'd really like letting the hen teach them (she's industrious) rather than having to buid a brooder.

 

[longranger]

I have my daily laugh looking at multiple hens sharing a nestbox. It started with one turkey and one chicken hen sharing the box. About 30 turkey eggs and no chicken eggs. There is barely enough room for the one turkey and chicken but for the last week 2 chickens and turkeys have been packing in. Amazingly no busted eggs. Will take out the extra 2 hens for "lockdown" next weekend and let the first 2 momma the babies. They have been together since the bator. The chicken is so convinced she is a turkey that she fans her tail and struts when she comes out to eat and drink. Will keep a real close eye on things as the babes start showing up and pull the chicken if needed.

This is the end of hatching turkeys this year for me. Already have too many poults in brooders or I would not try this experiment.

 

[Kekko]

Quote:
This year it worked out that I had an empty incubator that I was using for lock down on the eggs I was hatching. So I pulled the eggs before they were due to hatch and put them in the incubator for the last three days. Then I brooded them until they were sold (only three to four days). I have five brooders of various sizes either with birds in them or ready for birds all the time. I tried letting a broody hen take care of a couple of ducks last year and lost both of them. When the hens have raised their own chicks they have always done a super job of it and they integrated into the flock much faster but they haven’t been real great taking care of others chicks. I did raise a lone Royal Palm hen poulet with a batch of chicks last year and it did real well. In fact she is one of the hens that want to set on everything in a nest this year.

I just put another dozen Black Spanish Turkey eggs under a Gold Wyandotte Hen this morning. I should have an empty incubator when they are do to lock down. I think I'm about finished after the incubators are empty this round. I've got around eighty turkey eggs due to hatch between now and the end of the month!

 

[MikeG]

Yikes! Thanks. So, its not a good idea to keep the Hen in with the turkeys after they hatch? I don't have a brooder and was hoping she could teach them her Jedi ways...

Anyone ever have any luck? I understand newborn turkeys are 'fragile' and need a good bit of guidance on food/water/etc...

Thanks

 

[Kekko]

It's done all the time some people do pretty good with the right hens I guess! We just never had much for survival rate with if except with chickens. Our turkeys are lucky to get two out of ten to make it to the first month. That’s all just my opinion and what we have done. Good Luck which ever way you go!

 

[longranger]

I have my first broody turkey hen and she is doing a way better job with her poults than I can. The little family is in a large brooder and will stay there through 6 weeks when the poults should be unable to find a way out of my larger coops.

Have another sitting on eggs now. If she is half as good as this first momma with her poults next years turkey eggs may rarely see a bator. That is assuming of course that I have the motivation to build several large brooding pens over the fall and winter.

 

[ziggywiggy]

Quote:
Like Kekko said it's done all the time. I like it better this way because they are so much fun to watch. Mother hen is so gentle and protective. I let her out twice a day so she can roam our property under my close supervision. She just started laying again also so I have to give her some time with the Tom.