Will a turkey be a surrogate mother?

[Bird Brain]

I have a turkey hen setting on rotten eggs. She has 2 left (only cause I took two and one EXPLODED on me) If I took them from her and replaced them with 2 chicks would she raise them and finaly get off her nest? She is on somewhere about day 37!

 

[walkswithdog]

If she's a first time broody - set her with at least FOUR chicks, preferably six. They make MISTAKES and chicks will get squished. Two is bad odds. But yes it works,

I've had it work here, she managed to keep four of the six alive, then something killed one, possibly my Roo, it was the first chick he'd ever seen free ranging.

I just put them under her at night and in the morning - bingo - Momma and churkeys. The three survivors still think they're turkeys. Its too funny.

 

[Bird Brain]

It just so happens I have 6 chicks, but they are about 2 weeks old. Should I get younger ones or will that do?

 

[walkswithdog]

I'd suggest younger, bonding is an issue after a week.

 

[leonie]

My turkey stag was the mother to my batch of ducklings. He was a better mum than the rest of them!