turkey hen sitting on my chickens eggs, now what?

[BikerBabeRules]

My turkey hen has gone broody. She is sitting on her own eggs, she lays ever day (not fertile, no boys) and my chickens go lay in her nest when she gets out of it for a few minutes. The silly girls stand their and wait in line till she gets up to go take her dustbath, etc. She has a dozen eggs under her and is incredibly protective of them. I was moving them on her every day but then decided to leave them to see what happens as I've never had anything hatch in the barn on it's own. Will she raise these chickens as hers even though they are not turkeys? How does this work?

 

[CUDA]

Yes, you can get this to happen, she can hatch and raise them, the problem you will have though is that the chickens will continue laying in there, and she will keep pulling them under her, and you will end up having tons of eggs in there, and the ones she is setting on will all be various ages, so the hatch will be very staggered. I would recommend not letting her set on them myself. My stupid hens would climb right over my turkey to do the same thing, and she let them, and then pulled the eggs right under her. I had to pull chicken eggs out from under her the whole time, but got a good hatch on the turkey eggs though...

 

[BikerBabeRules]

Thanks CUDA. The hens do wiggle there way under her and behind her and lay. I'm not there every day as they are at a friends house and he's not always good about checking for the eggs. Whatever will be will be i spose i was curious. As long as she takes care of them, i'm good with that. I can always steal them from here when she gets up if i'm there and leave her just a few, setting the others in the bator to finish hatching.

 

[CUDA]

Well just remember too, that while a hen is broody, she doesn't eat or drink well. Just make sure you don't let it go on too long or it can be harmful to her.

 

[ginasmarans]

I would pen her away from the chickens if at all possible.You'll have a mess on your hands by the time 21 days go by.