What to expect if trying to get a hen to adopt

[southernsibe]

I am trying to get my turkey to adopt what were day old guinea keets when I put them together. What should I expect as far as what she will do or act like if she has accepted them? She has seen them now that it is daylight, and hasn't killed them, which I see as a good sign. But she doesn't seem very gentle either. She sort of pecks at them, almost a nip. I've let my silkie raise her own chicks and she was always nudging them under her, the turkey lets them go under her but seems sort of ambivalent about it. I'm doing this in an attempt to break her broodyness.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
Rachel

 

[Love my Critters!]

Hopefully someone with better advice will come alone. The only experience I've had with adoptions was with a Silkie hen and she had hatched 3 eggs, well only 2 days later my eggs in the bator hatched and I set them with her and she took to them immediately and nudged them under her. I know thats really no help. Just keep an eye on her. Hopefully you will hear from someone else soon.

 

[eggsgalore]

Sounds very dangerous to me. If you say, "She hasn't killed them yet", it means you are not sure either. I would just hand raise them.

 

[chickenannie]

Out of necessity, a friend gave me thirteen 2-day old turkey chicks whose mum had left the nest. I put them with 2 turkey henmoms I have who are raising 4 chicks between them, figuring they'd have 7-8 chicks apiece to care for.

It started great, but now I've noticed (2 days later) that one hen is pecking meanly at the 2 darker-colored adoptee chicks. (The light colored chicks are doing fine and are accepted. ) I had found one dark-colored chick dead 1 day after I put them with momma, and now I suspect the mean momma killed it, thinking those dark-colored chicks were "invaders".

I took those other 2 dark-colored chicks away and put them in a homemade brooder at 92 degrees F with food and water. But the 2 chicks have not pecked at food or water in 24 hours and I fear they will die. They seem shocked to be living in a box when they were out in a huge pen with mom and 16 other chicks previously. I've dipped their beaks in water and feed over and over again, but they just didn't get the hang of it. This morning I put them back out with their moms, if only to eat and drink for a few hours. I may pull them back in to the brooder again if I see mom trying to attack them again. It's really hard to know what to do. Please, any help??!!

 

[southernsibe]

I took the keets away from the turkey, she was pecking at them, and not gently as if to get them under her.


I think you are doing the right thing. Do the poults eat and drink when they are with the mom? I doubt a few hours at a time will make much difference if they aren't eating at all.

Rachel

 

[chickenannie]

OK, I'm losing it now... I don't know what I'm doing wrong.
I took the 2 chicks away from their mothers and put them in my small brooder box. they sit and do NOTHING. no eating or drinking. I cranked up the heat and they fell asleep under the light -- my thermometer now reads 102, which seems way to high for them but it doesn't "feel" hot and now i'm thinking maybe the thermometer isn't accurate (it came with my hovabator). arghhhh.

THEN, a 2-week old turkey chick had a hurt leg, and it was having to run around too much with it's mom in the pen, so I took IT out and put it with the 2 chicks. It is freaked. It's been a few hours, but I went to pick it up to look at its hurt foot (impossible because it squirms to get away) and it actually threw up in my hands!! OMG! i don't know what i'm doing wrong! it just threw up AGAIN when I picked it up again. it must be scared out of its mind.

Help!??