- Apr 14, 2013
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Ok, I've got 5 unrelated pairs of Midget White Turkeys. This is their first laying season so I've been way patient. The first three rounds of eggs were pretty good. I got an 80% hatch rate out of them. The poults went out of here at 25.00 each faster than I could take the local ads down. Literally three times, 3 ads, 1 day each and they were gone.
The 4th and 5th batches started to fade a bit to 60% - 70% hatch rates. So... I thought I might be working the birds too hard. So I let the hens go broody on their eggs and moved the toms to single pens so that I didn't have to referee fight night on a daily basis. Those guys might be the clumsiest birds on the planet, but when they get down, they don't stop. I have had a bird in the net and another tom trying to get him THROUGH the net. Insane.
In any case... The first two hens hatched their eggs or rather... went weird on their eggs this weekend. They are all in separate pens by the way.
The first hen hatched one poult. Sat on her eggs for another day and then got up way too early to momma the new one. As soon as she left the nest, we started watching her. My farm hand reported that she wasn't getting back on it. So we gathered the eggs. I immediately took them inside my hatchery, candled them. More than half were good. I had movement and what appeared to be healthy chicks wiggling inside. So into the hatcher they went. 2 of 4 have already popped out and are in a brooder. I'm waiting to see what happens with the other two from her.
The second hen hatched one poult. Then she moved off the nest like the other one to take care of that single baby. When she moved, we were amazed that the thing even hatched. There were two eggs that had pipped and it's like the momma didn't move when they were doing it. They were both dead with the top and bottom parts of the egg still attached, but all of the egg shell from their middles were gone. The remaining eggs were gathered, candled, and turned out to be non-viable.
During their brooding time, they have never moved off their nest for more time than it took to get food and water. They became hissy monsters, very protective of their nests so we let them be.
The other three hens are still brooding full nests of eggs.
Is this normal behavior? My pheasants, quail, and chickens certainly don't do this. My ostriches don't get the chance. This is our first run at turkeys, so it's new ground for us. Any insight regarding what we may have done wrong, similar circumstances, etc would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Michael
The 4th and 5th batches started to fade a bit to 60% - 70% hatch rates. So... I thought I might be working the birds too hard. So I let the hens go broody on their eggs and moved the toms to single pens so that I didn't have to referee fight night on a daily basis. Those guys might be the clumsiest birds on the planet, but when they get down, they don't stop. I have had a bird in the net and another tom trying to get him THROUGH the net. Insane.
In any case... The first two hens hatched their eggs or rather... went weird on their eggs this weekend. They are all in separate pens by the way.
The first hen hatched one poult. Sat on her eggs for another day and then got up way too early to momma the new one. As soon as she left the nest, we started watching her. My farm hand reported that she wasn't getting back on it. So we gathered the eggs. I immediately took them inside my hatchery, candled them. More than half were good. I had movement and what appeared to be healthy chicks wiggling inside. So into the hatcher they went. 2 of 4 have already popped out and are in a brooder. I'm waiting to see what happens with the other two from her.
The second hen hatched one poult. Then she moved off the nest like the other one to take care of that single baby. When she moved, we were amazed that the thing even hatched. There were two eggs that had pipped and it's like the momma didn't move when they were doing it. They were both dead with the top and bottom parts of the egg still attached, but all of the egg shell from their middles were gone. The remaining eggs were gathered, candled, and turned out to be non-viable.
During their brooding time, they have never moved off their nest for more time than it took to get food and water. They became hissy monsters, very protective of their nests so we let them be.
The other three hens are still brooding full nests of eggs.
Is this normal behavior? My pheasants, quail, and chickens certainly don't do this. My ostriches don't get the chance. This is our first run at turkeys, so it's new ground for us. Any insight regarding what we may have done wrong, similar circumstances, etc would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Michael
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