Taking poults from mom..

[Nyrial]

Tomorrow is day 28.

I'm still up in the air about if I'm going to take them. If I do it, should I do it as they hatch, or after they're all done hatching? How long does it take for the whole clutch to hatch? If I pick her up while they're hatching, will she sit back down or abandon them?

What if mom follows through on that hissing noise and really pecks my eyes out?

She's nested down in my (fenced) front yard, but it's cold, wet, and nasty here.. If I brought her and them inside (I have a makeshift "stall" in the garage) how long should I wait to do it?

 

[KOTurkeyRanch]

Has she ever raised any before? If she has experiance i say let her go, but if shes a first time mom id take them in since its both cold and wet. But the choice is yours. Goodluck on the hatch!!!! PICS PLEASE?!?!?!

 

[Nyrial]

No these are her first, she came up missing on Valentines day, DH got in BIIGGGG trouble (he left the gate open to the back field, boy was I

) Turns out she jumped the front fence to the yard, but at least he's learned the Golden Rule: Always shut the gate!

So.. as they hatch.. or after all done is the big question though.
I still think she's going to peck my eyes out or something.

 

[KOTurkeyRanch]

Quote:
OMG! Wednesday i think it was, i got up late for highschool and i saw the door open, and it was my hen's first day here and she was out. I almost had a heart attack! Now i close the hatch and reinforce it with a stick, i was so nervous at school haha

Anywhoo, tricky question. For the poults sake i say wait untill they are all hatched so they dont get bumped around much, but that would make it harder to take them away from mama hen, goodluck! May i suggest a helmet, pads and goggles?

 

[pdpatch]

So.. as they hatch.. or after all done is the big question though.
I still think she's going to peck my eyes out or something.

It depends on how much you have interact with her in the past. The less you do and the fewer turkeys you have the more chances of anything happening.

Smaller flocks need more interaction to keep them behaving.



Tom​

 

[HEChicken]

I know nothing about turkeys (but trying to learn) but....I almost always feel that mother nature handles things better than we do. Is there any reason to think she won't do a better job of brooding the poults than you can? I'd be inclined to leave her with them and let her raise them if I were you. After all, she has done all the work of hatching them - it seems a little mean to not let her have the joy of raising them.....

 

[Nyrial]

Quote:
That's why I was questioning pulling them.

The reasons I'm thinking of doing it are these:
1) It's March, and it's cold wet and rainy. If it was just cold it would be one thing, but the yard turns into a swamp when it rains for 3 days straight, which isn't uncommon here.
2)She's in my front yard, which is safe from my dogs and kids, but more prone to neighborhood cats and coyotes (smaller fence). I also worry about the offspring of the neighbors in the surrounding developments, their parents don't exactly supervise them, and the bus stop is right outside my front door.
3) She and "daddy" are quite skittish, and I would prefer the babies not be taught that.
4) If I was successfully able to herd her and the babies into the backyard, not only do they face the dogs and kids, but he is back there, along with several rowdy ducks. (Although the ducks DO keep the yard free of cats.

)

 

[KOTurkeyRanch]

Quote:
You are correct about Mother Nature handling everything correct, but this is kinda different. The turkeys have been domesticated therefore they lost a good amount of their natural instincts. Some hens are good mothers, some arent. I personally would like my hen to raise them just cause it would be cool to observe, but still interact so they are nice when they are older.

 

[Nyrial]

Luckily no pips yet.. I know that's a BAD thing, but hoping they may not start till tomorrow.. I made her stand up and all is as it was.

However, I do think she grew fangs overnight.

 

[KOTurkeyRanch]

Quote:
Hopefully God could help you with the choice? Anyway, post pics please?