More Turkey Incubation Questions...

ash1 · **Joined:** Sun Jul 01, 2012 10:25 pm **Posts:** 94

Approximately what day along in the incubation process should I be able to see the heartbeat when candling?

I have half of my eggs sitting under my broody turkey, should I candle her eggs too, to make sure they're not duds and explode under her? Or just leave them be until they hatch (or don't as the case may be). Would a dud egg explode before four weeks is up (they were purchased eggs, so not sure how old they were before we started)?

Lastly (for now!) what is the laying/breeding season for Turkeys? If she hatches out these chicks, how soon will we (she and I) have to go through this nail-biting experience again?

Many thanks, than657

loving all the wisdom on this board and how everyone is so friendly and helpful (BIG change from some of the other forums I belong to!

)

9Lives · **Joined:** Wed Aug 29, 2012 10:27 am **Posts:** 2

Have a look at http://shilala.homestead.com/candling.html I found it so helpful to see all the pictures and what to look for

topender · **Joined:** Sun May 29, 2011 9:54 am **Posts:** 30

In my experience, dud eggs don't usually explode under the hen. Hens will sometimes sit a bit beyond the 28 days regular incubation period, but they will normally just get up and leave a dud egg.
You might find that your hen will become a little aggressive if you try to take out any eggs to candle them. They don't like being disturbed! In any case, candling doesn't show much until an embryo is 7-10 days old.
All the best for your hatching!

ash1 · **Joined:** Sun Jul 01, 2012 10:25 pm **Posts:** 94

Thanks for the advice!

Well today is day seven for both Mrs Turkey and my incubator. I couldn't help myself and "had a candle" today (was so worried I had cooked them the other night, just had to have a wee look). Two of my incubator eggs seem to be moving (heartbeat) - is it possible I would see this so early? I just about dropped the egg in surprise. At first I thought it was my eyes playing tricks on me, but I stood as absolutely still as possible and, no doubt about it, there was a bit of movement of the dark spot in the centre of the veins.

I also went in to Mrs Turkey after dark and had a quick candle of her eggs. She wasn't super happy about it, but didn't put up too much fuss - I've been giving her food and water by hand in the nest as she just never seems to move from the nest, so she's getting used to my ocassional presence.

Sadly it looks like a couple are duds (red ring of death), but I'll keep them under her at least another week to make absolutely sure. "Her" eggs don't look as advanced as "my" (all from same batch of eggs), does this seem right? Poor girl has been so very diligent that if some of mine hatch and hers don't, I will be forced to give her my bubbas.

9Lives · **Joined:** Wed Aug 29, 2012 10:27 am **Posts:** 2

If her eggs don't hatch you can't give her the chicks you hatch because she may very well kill them so not a good idea to try

ash1 · **Joined:** Sun Jul 01, 2012 10:25 pm **Posts:** 94

Oh. Yet another thing I didn't know.

What about if I moved a couple of my viable eggs (this is with much assumption on my part, being there is still another three weeks to go and I may not even still have viable eggs at that point!) under her at the 24-25 day mark and she hatched them out? I just couldn't bear this poor bird to go through every thing she has (already sat on dud eggs for 2.5 weeks, then this fresh batch) and not get at least a bubba or two out of it.

i.e., if I do find in another week that the eggs are definately duds, swap them with some fakes, then swap the fakes with my viable eggs closer to hatch time? I don't want to risk my eggs if I haven't managed to kill them all by then, but at the same time, this poor, poor turkey hen.

SheepFarm · **Joined:** Wed Jul 04, 2012 11:59 am **Posts:** 35

Yes you can do that and that is a good idea give her the eggs at the last week and let her hatch it will teach her to be a mum

ash1 · **Joined:** Sun Jul 01, 2012 10:25 pm **Posts:** 94

Thanks Sheep. That's what I'll do then, if hers are in fact duds.

We did make a deal at the beginning that I could keep "my" eggs and she could keep hers. But guess I'll have to be the bigger person (turkey?) here. Hopefully hers don't all turn out to be duds and we get at least a couple of bubbas each.

SheepFarm · **Joined:** Wed Jul 04, 2012 11:59 am **Posts:** 35

to mum turkey and you

ash1 · **Joined:** Sun Jul 01, 2012 10:25 pm **Posts:** 94

Well something strange happened yesterday. The "other" Mrs Turkey was sitting on broody Mrs Turkey's nest and broody Mrs Turkey was sitting on the nest next door (with no eggs).

Today when I went to give all the birds their afternoon snack (I hand-feed broody Mrs Turkey in the nest as she never seems to leave it and I was getting pretty worried about it), the intruder Mrs Turkey got up out of the nest (that has the fertile eggs in it), to have a scratch around so the original broody Mrs Turkey saw her opportunity, leapt up and promptly moved back to "her" nest and eggs.

Then the intruder Mrs Turkey came back after having a leg stretch, looked at broody Mrs Turkey in the nest she (intruder Mrs Turkey) had just vacated, looked at the empty nest next door, looked a bit confused, then settled herself back down into the empty nest.

Should I get some fertile eggs for the second Mrs Turkey? She has been nesting quite a bit, but doesn't seem to produce any eggs.

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