To incubate or let nature?

[member 104844]

This is my second year with my turkeys. I got three 9/21 Bill, Hilary and Bilary. Bilary went to visit the neighbor’s dogs a few months after and didn’t come back from that one I also realized that Bill was a hen, not a tom as promised. So on Craigslist in December I got a Tgiving survivor and everyone got along as expected. Starting February ‘22 they began to lay eggs in my horse stall, same place and both began sitting on them. I did notice eggs being broken but they were outside, which made me think rat until I saw Bill poke a hole in an egg then fly it out of the barn on her beak to finish destroying it. I don’t see her eat either shells or contents, she just broke them. At some point, Hilary injured her leg but was still sitting faithfully so I separated her and would help her get off the nest once a day to poop and eat. She’s still alive although one leg is forever in flamingo position. None of those eggs hatched; some were fertile, some rotted, etc. I chalked it up to inexperience.
Bill would heckle the tom then laid and sat on a batch of infertile eggs I ended up taking away after they weren’t going to hatch. No more eggs last year.
This year starting Feb again I started finding eggs, but I’m not sure whose and Bill would peck those as well and decided she would lay eggs while perched on top of the door - splat. Finally someone started a nest in a stall again that Bill occasionally sits on, but not enough to convince me they won’t all go bad again They all are closed up in my barn at night but have full access to my pasture during the day. They eat 16% layer pellets and scratch mix. If it’s relevant to being good parents, Bill is a Blue/Bronze mix, Hilary is a Slate and Al (tom) is a RP. I know he fertilized eggs last year and has successfully bred with Bill and has even attempted with Hilary despite her leg issue. I have the stall door almost closed to where the ladies can go in & out but not Al.
So the question is - nab some eggs to incubate for myself or just let it be to see if either of the hens can do it? Bill is the dominant one by far, she determines what the rest do when and actually hops the fence to demand grapes at my porch, so I really want her to be successful even though she’s kooky and murderous
I also have an order of Cayuga ducks coming that once big enough will live with the turkeys as well TIA for any opinions/advice
Pics are when everyone met eachother and Bill on Saturday but she has not been sitting regularly at all

 

[sourland]

If you want to be guaranteed poults, I would incubate a batch and then let the hens incubate another clutch.

 

[R2elk]

This is my second year with my turkeys. I got three 9/21 Bill, Hilary and Bilary. Bilary went to visit the neighbor’s dogs a few months after and didn’t come back from that one I also realized that Bill was a hen, not a tom as promised. So on Craigslist in December I got a Tgiving survivor and everyone got along as expected. Starting February ‘22 they began to lay eggs in my horse stall, same place and both began sitting on them. I did notice eggs being broken but they were outside, which made me think rat until I saw Bill poke a hole in an egg then fly it out of the barn on her beak to finish destroying it. I don’t see her eat either shells or contents, she just broke them. At some point, Hilary injured her leg but was still sitting faithfully so I separated her and would help her get off the nest once a day to poop and eat. She’s still alive although one leg is forever in flamingo position. None of those eggs hatched; some were fertile, some rotted, etc. I chalked it up to inexperience.
Bill would heckle the tom then laid and sat on a batch of infertile eggs I ended up taking away after they weren’t going to hatch. No more eggs last year.
This year starting Feb again I started finding eggs, but I’m not sure whose and Bill would peck those as well and decided she would lay eggs while perched on top of the door - splat. Finally someone started a nest in a stall again that Bill occasionally sits on, but not enough to convince me they won’t all go bad again They all are closed up in my barn at night but have full access to my pasture during the day. They eat 16% layer pellets and scratch mix. If it’s relevant to being good parents, Bill is a Blue/Bronze mix, Hilary is a Slate and Al (tom) is a RP. I know he fertilized eggs last year and has successfully bred with Bill and has even attempted with Hilary despite her leg issue. I have the stall door almost closed to where the ladies can go in & out but not Al.
So the question is - nab some eggs to incubate for myself or just let it be to see if either of the hens can do it? Bill is the dominant one by far, she determines what the rest do when and actually hops the fence to demand grapes at my porch, so I really want her to be successful even though she’s kooky and murderous
I also have an order of Cayuga ducks coming that once big enough will live with the turkeys as well TIA for any opinions/advice
Pics are when everyone met eachother and Bill on Saturday but she has not been sitting regularly at all

Do not let the tom have access to the nest. Toms will take a hen sitting on a nest as an invitation to breed. This can cause broken eggs and injured hens.

 

[Huntmaster]

You have been given good advice I would incubate a set also then let your hen try again since you haven't had much luck with the hens. (Some hens just never make good sitters /mothers) How many eggs are under Bill looks like too many to cover properly if so, you will never get a good hatch rate from her like that.

 

[member 104844]

You have been given good advice I would incubate a set also then let your hen try again since you haven't had much luck with the hens. (Some hens just never make good sitters /mothers) How many eggs are under Bill looks like too many to cover properly if so, you will never get a good hatch rate from her like that.

I’m not sure who/when laid what since she splatted and pecked some. Last count was 16 eggs, she might not be sitting properly on them either-her tail feathers are all broken from her sitting that way. I think I’ll nick 7 for the incubator and I get a few. She’s been out all day, not sitting so it might be too late. TYVM comments! I got turkeys for their weed/bug killing abilities and hardiness-chickens are snack time where we live

 

[Huntmaster]

If they are still laying, I would remove most of those eggs marking some so you can tell old from new and leave them in nest and collect the fresh eggs for incubating. Then let them lay a new clutch and remove all old marked eggs hoping one will go full broody and sit the new clutch themselves.

 

[member 104844]

Update…I stole 7 eggs and began incubating them. After about 2 weeks 5 did not develop at all (assuming infertile). The other 2 I candled daily and could see stuff but wasn’t sure what. Egg 1 had floaties and when I cracked it, it looked like a ten day quitter. The other one was perfect, probably about a week from hatch…that was sad but a learning experience.

The eggs in the barn, the hens started sitting, on the same nest, but in the interest of hands off I left them alone. Today I went in to check on everyone (my Cayuga ducklings are in the other stall). Bill resettled and I saw an egg that looked like a failed hatch. I pulled it out with a manure fork and finished opening it to see what went wrong…attached pics. Looks like belly button didn’t seal/detach? Low humidity? I lifted the hens a little with the fork and didn’t see anything other than intact eggs.
Was about to leave except I kept hearing cheeping sounds that weren’t the ducklings and wow! look what popped out from under the hens so at least one success. Bill did peck at it until it went back under…is that normal or should I take the poult away until it’s bigger?

 

[member 104844]

Only two hatched, I had to check the rest of the eggs and throw them out. But so far both hens have been caring for the poults and they come out a little bit more each day. Dad is an RP and moms? not sure which ones actually laid which, but one is supposed to be a Bronze/Blue mix and the other is a Blue Slate.

 

[R2elk]

Only two hatched, I had to check the rest of the eggs and throw them out. But so far both hens have been caring for the poults and they come out a little bit more each day. Dad is an RP and moms? not sure which ones actually laid which, but one is supposed to be a Bronze/Blue mix and the other is a Blue Slate.

I doubt that the Blue Slate is the mother based on the poult's colors. The Bronze mix is most likely the mother.

 

[member 104844]

Yes, good assumption because Bill is definitely dominant, even more than the tom. And the Slate hen has a leg injury that makes her permanently bend her leg like a flamingo, I’m not sure she can even breed successfully, but she definitely helps surrogate hatch and babysit!