Turkey egg incubation 2.0

[cmobley]

last question my kids are dying to carry and sit with the turkeys like they do the chicks and ducks can they handle the temp change being outta the brooder for a little while, I been telling them they can't be outta the heat long like chicks. I'm mainly just nervous im gonna lose the few thats hatched outta the 17 eggs I started with.

 

[R2elk]

View attachment 2622030last question my kids are dying to carry and sit with the turkeys like they do the chicks and ducks can they handle the temp change being outta the brooder for a little while, I been telling them they can't be outta the heat long like chicks. I'm mainly just nervous im gonna lose the few thats hatched outta the 17 eggs I started with.

Keep on telling them anything you want to tell them to get them to leave the poults alone. In my opinion, imprinting poults is a bad thing and you will pay for it later. I want my turkeys to understand they are turkeys. I do not want them thinking they are people.

You will also not want to listen to the constant hollering from the turkeys as they call for their fake mothers.

 

[cmobley]

this is the one that looked funny yesterday. Chicks hatched and were in the incubator running around i didn't want them grabbing and pecking so I brought him to the brooder where so far these have just laid and slept. The actual cord was dry and I snipped it so he wasn't dragging a gut tag to pull on he acts fine but all birds do so they don't show weakness.

 

[cmobley]

The hatch is over last one hatched this morning ended up with 5 total which isn't bad I guess. 50 bucks for 17 eggs and poults sell for 10 or 15 around here so basically broke even as far as buying poults. The other 3 eggs were fully developed but dead at candle just now. After my first time trying turkey eggs this is a success in my book. I'm done hatching eggs for a while I have 13 lavender orps in a brooder ready to go out to a pen, 4 ducklings in a pen, 22 chicks in one brooder, 5 turkeys in a brooder, hatching the last chicks i set with turkey eggs probably end up with 10 more of those. I'm done.

 

[cmobley]

they all look a little different but this one to me has the prettiest colors. Theres another similar to this and the others look like they'll have more white on them.

 

[Anita Scott]

I aim around 50-60% humidity. I fill about 20-35% of the tray with water, since the humidity stays more consistent with deeper water in a smaller space. When I spread the water out, the humidity gets too high quick and the water evaporates quicker.

I actually add the eggs to my incubator daily, so I never really have a lockdown period. I move the eggs to the bottom without a turner for the last 3 days. My hatch rates are normally pretty good.

I use a permanent marker and date my eggs, and this year I am putting a code for the hen if I know it. I have bbb and standard hens, but the toms are standard. Not quite sure what the bbb will turn out to be. I plan to use a bit of spray paint to mark any bbb mix poults, like the hatchery had done.

R2elk is right about the humidity. I started up a 2nd incubator and keep the majority at 30-50% and move them to the 2nd incubator for hatching and a little higher humidity. It seems to be working better. Lost a few eggs due to too high humidity.

 

[cmobley]

I always dry incubate im in south Alabama so it stays in the 30-50 basically all the time. The only time I'll add water is when a cold front pushes through and that cool dry air comes in it'll knock it down sometimes in the 15-20% range.

 

[cmobley]

Lost one poult last night. It was the one that didn't develop right hatched a little early I guess. It never really walked right kinda walked on its knees. The rest are doing great eating and drinking. At work till 530 so maybe none will pass while I'm gone.

 

[cmobley]

Here's the poults a few weeks after they've hatched not sure about colors or genders but they're already so much different than chickens. I'm building a 9x9 house for them in a 25x25 yard at the farm. I'm not planning in adding any in the near future but I think that size house and yard will be big enough for them.

 

[R2elk]

View attachment 2673132View attachment 2673133Here's the poults a few weeks after they've hatched not sure about colors or genders but they're already so much different than chickens. I'm building a 9x9 house for them in a 25x25 yard at the farm. I'm not planning in adding any in the near future but I think that size house and yard will be big enough for them.

A minimum of ten sq. ft. of clear floor area for each adult bird for coop space plus a minimum of at least 40 sq. ft. for each adult bird for run space.