Tom sitting on eggs

[gavada]

Our turkey hen is currently sitting on a clutch of eggs - 7 turkey, 12 guinea fowl, and a duck. She's bee on them for about 2 weeks now. Our Tom sleeps in the same coop at night, usually on the roost keeping an eye on her. 2 Days ago, however, he started sitting in her nest box with her. This morning I went to let them out of the coop and he didn't seem to want to move from the nest. I didn't think much of it until I went back around lunch and found him still not moving. So I took a closer look and noticed he was sitting on eggs. I watched him take a few from the hen and gently put them under him. If he was too slow the hen would take them back but otherwise did not seem to mind. I've read that this apparently happens from time to time, but is it something I should stop? I don't want him breaking them. If I do need to stop it, what' the best way of doing that?

 

[jackietheturkeylover]

you don't need to stop it, its a natural thing for turkeys to do. for wild turkeys, when the females get tired of sitting on the eggs & they get hungry they'll order the males to sit on them while they feast

 

[nickie]

That is the greatest thing I've heard today.

 

[gavada]

Yeah. This is the very same tom that never stops strutting around and keeps making beelines for the neighbors turkey (they have a tom and a royal palm hen. he so wants that hen). He loves picking fights. When I didn't notice him in the yard I thought I was going to have to go break up another turkey fight. Instead I sent the neighbors an email telling them our tom has gone broody and won't leave the nest so we shouldn't have issues for a little while.

He's been very dutifully sitting on half of the eggs. He only got off for a little while to eat and drink and take a few strutting laps around the coop. Unfortunately I think the hen has refused to budge from her part of the nest since he started sitting. I guess she'll come out when she gets hungry enough.

Here's hoping these eggs hatch.

 

[luckyclucker]

My tom is doing the same thing. I was as worried as I've ever been about a pet-- sent a sample of his feces into the vet, dusted him for mites, dosed him with antibiotics (as prescribed by my vet) and have finally found out what he is up to. The turkeys live with chickens, and some of the younger hens have been crawling under the tom, laying an egg, and he's been sitting on them. I just went into the pen and pried him off yet another egg. He is generally a real exhibitionist, but now he spends the greater part of the day sitting on eggs (chicken, turkey and all unfertilized, so far).

We had a turkey hen die three weeks ago (autopsy revealed liver issue, hence the antibiotics just in case) and he's been acting odd ever since then. He is so in love with people that I felt like he never even noticed the hens, apparently I was wrong....

 

[CorinneP]

This was so interesting and fun to read about ! WE just got our First two Turkeys still babies .. So I am reading all I can to take great care of them ! I keep reading that turkeys and chickens shouldnt be kept together because of the Chicken poop carrying a disease that wont hurt the chickens but can kill the Turkey ?? I really was hoping they could mingle ..
So Fun to think that the Toms will take a turn ! I loed reading that