Update: Poults 2 days old -- Turkey eggs under broody chicken -- advice?

[SJensen]

Hi, I have a great broody hen and decided to try 6 turkey eggs under her. They are due to hatch in a few days. My plan is to move the mother and poults from the nest box to a 3x3 covered pen with shavings and straw after they hatch. About the risk of blackhead, I'll give the babies a medicated wild game starter. I'd also like to try cayenne for their mother.

Has anybody done this before and if so will you let me know if I'm on the right track? Here are some photos -- I'm getting excited!

 

[Bullitt]

I do not know anything about raising turkeys.

What breed of turkey will you be raising?

What is the purpose of giving cayenne to the hen?

 

[SJensen]

I do not know anything about raising turkeys.

What breed of turkey will you be raising?

What is the purpose of giving cayenne to the hen?

Hi -- I don't know anything about raising turkeys either! The breed is "Bronze".

About the cayenne -- it is supposed to be a natural worm/protozoa preventative that you can add to their feed.

Has anyone out there used a chicken to mother poults?

 

[Bullitt]

I see it takes 28 days for a turkey egg to hatch, rather than the 21 days for a chicken egg. I suppose the hen has to be dedicated to hatch turkey eggs.

 

[SJensen]

Exactly. She's doing a great job. I hear the important thing is that she'll get up every few days to eat, drink, and take a dust bath -- which she does. I also feed her by hand from time to time.

Has anyone else let a chicken be a mother to turkey poults?

 

[Ten Mile]

I have a silkie sitting for the third time this year on turkey eggs. Although I haven't let her raise the first two batches this batch I will leave with her until they start to eat and drink on their own. Then into the brooder they will go.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Exactly. She's doing a great job. I hear the important thing is that she'll get up every few days to eat, drink, and take a dust bath -- which she does. I also feed her by hand from time to time. 

Has anyone else let a chicken be a mother to turkey poults? 

Yes, I have let any and every single bird at my place be the mother of any and every single bird at my place.

Chicken hatched and mother poults as well as hatched peafowl, duck and goose eggs
Turkeys hatched chickens, ducks, geese and mothered them
Toms hatched ducks
Ducks hatched turkeys, chickens
Geese hatched chickens, ducks, turkeys and ducks

You name it, I have tried it.

I do not do anything different. I don't treat for any "future" diseases that they may get. I have never had a blackhead problem with turkeys and chickens. I do not feed any babies medicated feed but that's just me.

Are you wanting to medicat so that they don't get blackhead?

 

[SJensen]

So great to hear this is working out kuntrygirl. I keep hearing about how turkey poults are more susceptible to diseases that chickens may carry, like blackhead and coccidiosis. I thought it would help to give a medicated starter.

I'm expecting them to hatch tomorrow...

 

[Bullitt]

Maybe you will post a picture after they hatch.

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

Exactly. She's doing a great job. I hear the important thing is that she'll get up every few days to eat, drink, and take a dust bath -- which she does. I also feed her by hand from time to time. 

Has anyone else let a chicken be a mother to turkey poults? 

Yes, I have let any and every single bird at my place be the mother of any and every single bird at my place.

Chicken hatched and mother poults as well as hatched peafowl, duck and goose eggs
Turkeys hatched chickens, ducks, geese and mothered them
Toms hatched ducks
Ducks hatched turkeys, chickens
Geese hatched chickens, ducks, turkeys and ducks

You name it, I have tried it.

I do not do anything different. I don't treat for any "future" diseases that they may get. I have never had a blackhead problem with turkeys and chickens. I do not feed any babies medicated feed but that's just me.

Are you wanting to medicat so that they don't get blackhead?

TOMS hatch ducks?!?

You've had a TOM go broody?


If our turkeys eggs were fertile I'd let her, or the chickens, sit. No worry for blackhead here.
The thing with chickens is that they'll pretty much sit to the end of Dawn to hatch anything. So they make great mothers.


So basically around here, if they want to mother something, they get to. LOL. Even if they can't sit on the eggs, they get to mother them.



Best of luck to OP !