My two mixed turkey hens are setting eggs, not in the best place, but I think they will be fine. I don't want them free ranging with the poults however and wondered if I could round them all up when the eggs hatch and get them somewhere safer. I believe the nests are in a safe enough place to be hidden from predators, it took me several days to find them myself and they we right on the edge of the yard! It is really cute, the hens nests are right next to each other and one hen is looking east and one is looking west, like they are watching out for each other and keeping each other warm. I do believe they will hike their babies all over the woods and would rather get them in a yard so we won't lose any. What is the best way to do it? I had gone through pages of subjects here and didn't get a real clear answer if it would upset the hens to the point they won't care for the poults, I can raise the babies myself but the whole point for my choosing heritage breed turkeys was so they would do it. I just don't want them to think they are wild turkeys like their moms seem to. The hens were momma raised and seem to know what they are doing even being first time mamas and all. I snuck some food and water out there as they have not been coming around to eat for a couple days and they look very content and I don't want to move them now because they have been sitting now for a week or so. My other question is will they keep the babies in the nest for a couple days? I don't exactly know when it was that they began to sit because to be perfectly honest they never spent much time around the yard and I thought they took off for good so I didn't look right away! If I were brave enough to steal an egg and candle it I could probably get some idea. Open the flood gates of knowledge guys- just don't tell me I should have done this or that because it is already done, okay? I will learn from this and try and keep them from nesting places that aren't ideal in the future. Thank you!
