Tossing fertile eggs out?

[Peevesmom]

My turkey is sitting on 10 eggs and she has been for about 6 days. Is it cruel for me to take the eggs out and toss them? I don’t really know if there is anything growing inside since she didn’t sit on them the first week she laid them. I don’t think I want to raise poults, but more than anything I don’t want her to be depressed because I took her babies.

 

[cavemanrich]

If you don't want babies, just toss. Don't worry about creating depression in turkey. They don't think like humans.
WISHING YOU BEST....

 

[Arya28]

People will definitely have differing opinions on this... but 6 days is pretty far into development IMO. I'm not sure about turkeys but for chickens, the heart beats inside of the eggs on day 3. By day 6 they will definitely be developing if they are fertilized. This is why we couldn't bring ourselves to take the eggs from our broody hen when we realized she was sitting on them for more than three days... and now we have a bunch of healthy young chickens who were raised well by mommy! Again, this is a personal choice. If it were only a day or two I would more likely recommend tossing them.... but 6 days is pretty far in. I don't know as though it would make momma depressed or not, but there are definitely some little turkeys in those eggs if they are fertile and 6 days developed. If you let her hatch them it would be a great experience if you can handle it! I'm sure she'd be a great momma if she's been brooding them for this long You need to post pics and updates if you decide to let her continue with them!

Good luck with whatever you choose!

 

[Arya28]

And while turkeys might not think like humans, they can be sentimental birds, and it is their instinct to see their babies through a healthy development and... childhood? chickhood? poulthood? Not sure of the exact wording there

 

[ker0412]

People will definitely have differing opinions on this... but 6 days is pretty far into development IMO. I'm not sure about turkeys but for chickens, the heart beats inside of the eggs on day 3. By day 6 they will definitely be developing if they are fertilized. This is why we couldn't bring ourselves to take the eggs from our broody hen when we realized she was sitting on them for more than three days... and now we have a bunch of healthy young chickens who were raised well by mommy! Again, this is a personal choice. If it were only a day or two I would more likely recommend tossing them.... but 6 days is pretty far in. I don't know as though it would make momma depressed or not, but there are definitely some little turkeys in those eggs if they are fertile and 6 days developed. If you let her hatch them it would be a great experience if you can handle it! I'm sure she'd be a great momma if she's been brooding them for this long You need to post pics and updates if you decide to let her continue with them!

Good luck with whatever you choose!

Try to sell the birds, or eggs...or give them away.

 

[Arya28]

Try to sell the birds, or eggs...or give them away.

Yeah, if you don't want the babies, I would do that rather than throw them out.

 

[ker0412]

Yeah, if you don't want the babies, I would do that rather than throw them out.

There are stories out there of people eating eggs that having been incubated. Just giving ideas.

 

[bobbi-j]

It’s fine to toss the eggs if you don’t want to raise poults. The hen may not be happy about it at first, but she’ll get over it. I have raised turkeys - they act on instinct, not sentimentality. It’s far better to dispose of the eggs now than end up with a bunch of birds you don’t want. (Turkeys develop more slowly than chickens, so they won’t be as developed as a 6 day chick embryo).

 

[Peevesmom]

UPDATE: 5 of her 9 eggs hatched on May 15th. They are very loved