Someone wants to buy my poults to put under a broody hen. Good idea or bad?

[Feeling Clucky]

Hi! Someone wants to buy my turkey poults to put under her broody hen. She’s never hatched or raised poults before (the hen). And isn’t doing a good job sitting on her eggs (she won’t stay on them long enough to hatch them). My poults are a week old and thriving in the brooder. It’s still rainy and cool where we are. I don’t want to sell the poults just to have them die there! What are your thoughts? She’s insistent her hen will do fine. We have more hatching in a few days too. Let me know what you think!

 

[R2elk]

Hi! Someone wants to buy my turkey poults to put under her broody hen. She’s never hatched or raised poults before (the hen). And isn’t doing a good job sitting on her eggs (she won’t stay on them long enough to hatch them). My poults are a week old and thriving in the brooder. It’s still rainy and cool where we are. I don’t want to sell the poults just to have them die there! What are your thoughts? She’s insistent her hen will do fine. We have more hatching in a few days too. Let me know what you think!

I am guessing her hen is a turkey hen. If the hen won't sit on the eggs long enough to hatch them, it is highly unlikely she will be a good mother.

I never stick poults under a hen. If I have a hen that I want to try to give poults to, I place the hen and the poults in a room together. I stay there with them and watch how the hen acts. If the hen is going to adopt the poults, she will start cooing and baby talking to them as she gently herds them into one area.

If the hen starts by pecking at the poults, I remove her immediately.

 

[Feeling Clucky]

I am guessing her hen is a turkey hen. If the hen won't sit on the eggs long enough to hatch them, it is highly unlikely she will be a good mother.

I never stick poults under a hen. If I have a hen that I want to try to give poults to, I place the hen and the poults in a room together. I stay there with them and watch how the hen acts. If the hen is going to adopt the poults, she will start cooing and baby talking to them as she gently herds them into one area.

If the hen starts by pecking at the poults, I remove her immediately.

Thank you for this info! This is our first time hatching poults and we have grown quite attached to the little guys, so we don’t want to send them to a death sentence. I think I’ll offer to sell her some fertile eggs for her turkey hen to sit on. But I think you’re right- if she won’t sit on the eggs long enough to hatch I have a feeling she won’t be able to be a good mama. I appreciate your response!

 

[Molpet]

I am guessing her hen is a turkey hen. If the hen won't sit on the eggs long enough to hatch them, it is highly unlikely she will be a good mother.

I never stick poults under a hen. If I have a hen that I want to try to give poults to, I place the hen and the poults in a room together. I stay there with them and watch how the hen acts. If the hen is going to adopt the poults, she will start cooing and baby talking to them as she gently herds them into one area.

If the hen starts by pecking at the poults, I remove her immediately.

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