AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

Okay, so further to my previous sagas, I could really use some advice.

Situation:
Two broody turkeys have been sitting on dud eggs (one is on her second lot and has now been sitting for close to two months)
I have three viable eggs due to hatch in five-six days time.

I was intending on giving 1st Mrs Broody Turkey two of my eggs and the second Mrs Broody Turkey the last one of my eggs, following some very good advice given by Sheep, who said to give them the eggs around about now. I was intending on slipping the eggs into their nests tonight.

However today I was talking to a lady who breeds turkeys (I bought five week-old poults for me to raise, presuming I was soon to be giving my three eggs to the Mrs Broody Turkeys). She said NOT to give my eggs to the Mrs Turkeys, as she reckons they make absolutely lousy mothers and they would lose the chicks (should they actually hatch). She reckons remove the eggs and the nest box and they will go back to normal very quickly (i.e., no longer be broody).

I have absolutely no reason to doubt her, but I will feel so MEAN. Especially not giving the longest sitting Mrs Turkey eggs, she has been such a diligent sitter and for such a long time.

So I thought maybe this:
Move the nest box, complete with both Mrs Turkeys into a separate pen (they are currently sitting in the chook house in the chook's nest boxes, which would create real problems if/when the eggs I give them, hatch.
If they don't abandon the nest and keep sitting once moved, then give them my three eggs. If they abandon the nest and go back to being normal turkeys, then nothing lost.

Advice puleeezeee, I am so confuzled about what to do. I know the mean feeling is anthropomorphic and turkeys don't think the same way people do, but still.

Are turkeys rubbish mums? Should I give up the eggs, or keep the eggs. Move the turkeys or biff them out of the nests? So many decisions!

Should have added that my three viable eggs are currently in my incubator, not under the broody turkeys.

I personally would leave them in the incubator the turkeys will most likely hatch the eggs out if they are okay but as far as mothers go -nope.

Ash1,

In my limited dealing with Turkey's, I have always found the hens to be excellent mothers. Turkeys are very different to fowls, we have not changed their breeding and laying traits. They still have all their natural instincts including raising their own young.

In my teens we had a trio, the ens as mentioned would lay in the long grass around the paddocks, we would collect th eggs daily until they sat. We always moved them into a pen, foxes love turkey. I had a drum that I would set them in, I would put a bag over the front for the first few days once settled then remove. Never had an issue of the hen not sitting.

Once they (poults) hatched theywere kept in the pen for the first week or so. Yes the poults don't like getting wet or having wet feet for those first few days. After that we would let them our in the morning and lock them up at night. The old gobbler would help look after his brood.

We currently have a red hen at the farm and she is also an excellent mother. She has a spot in some long grass where she generally always lays and sets, this is in a lagre pen so no issue with foxes. After hatching we move her and her brood to a covered pen for a few weeks and then let them out to run. Rarely do we loose a poult.

It is really a personal choice, if you have the right set-up and time raise the young your self or for a less time consuming activity move the eggs and allow the hens to hatch the eggs and raise the poults.

Rhode Red.

Hi ash1
ok =
advise from a long time turkey owner/breeder (and resident caffeine deprive grumpy old woman )

turkeys will sit literally until they die waiting for poults to hatch = turkeys are obsessive regards 2 things = eating until they vomit and sitting until something hatches – if nothing hatches they keep sitting and sitting and sitting – I have even had one die as I totally didn’t realise just how long she had been sitting
often they will refuse to eat while sitting and it is not wise to leave food within their reach as they will (IF they eat it) poop it all over the eggs destroying them often they wont eat it tho as they are in ‘sit mode’
turkeys ARE lousy mothers IF the eggs hatch they often accidentally step on and kill the poults as turkey DON’T look where they put their feet and they are heavy birds – they DON’T keep the poults near them or get them under cover when it rains the poults have to get under cover on their own = they are too young to realise = and watch an adult turkey they will stand in the rain often LOOKING UP at it so what hope do the poults have in that regard? And the mother turkeys will not call the poults in for the night and huddle them under them = and the ones that do get under her can be crushed during the night if the mother moves in her sleep = again they don’t bother to check where the poults are under them they just move

you are concerned about being ‘MEAN’ = stop that now = you are not being mean to the hen by not letting her hatch ‘something’ = the ones you are being mean to are the unborn ones – get those eggs put them in an incubator and get that turkey off that nest and out and about
now – it can sometimes take a fair bit of work to get the turkeys to stop sitting as some get it in their heads (especially after sitting WAY TOO LONG = they are supposed to sit for 28 days) that that is their role in life = IF you can put her into a heavy gauge wire cage (with food and water in it) that is off the ground so the cold air flows under her for about 30mins at a time (put a container of ice under there too if you can to make the air even colder) then let her out with the gobbler and other turkeys and watch what she does = she may go straight back to where the nest was = remove ALL trace of the nest and spread fresh dirt there if you have to – if she goes back = drag her out again and into the cage then in with the gobbler and others = alternately put her in a paddock as far away from where the nest was as is possible along with all the other turkeys
persistence is needed to stop a turkey wanting to sit that has sat for as long as yours has but it will work = make sure you offer her food while in with the other turkeys as well = mixed grains would help as the colour attracts them = once they start eating well again they forget about the 2nd thing they obsess abt an seeing the others eating often gets them going faster as well = they don’t want to miss out on something the others have

I don’t normally let my turkeys sit on anything and try to stop those that go broody by distracting them or moving them into another paddock

Now I know most don’t have the land space I do which makes it difficult = but do the best you can and get that bird off that nest and walking around eating drinking etc
She may have trouble walking for a few days = normal after such an extended period of inactivity

Ok – caffeine deprived grumpy old woman going off to have a cuppa – sorry for sounding so ‘aggressive’ but I am spelling it out in cold hard facts for you = not sugar coating it

Thank you!
Zoosorps, that is EXACTLY what I needed to hear. Not too agressive at all, I needed some hard talkin' advice and someone to firmly tell me what to do. Am going out RIGHT NOW to get those hens off the nest. I have been hand feeding them in the nest because one in particular just never seems to leave the nest and I was so concerned about her. Poor Casanova (the tom) is lonely as both his wifes have been sitting, sitting, sitting in the hen house.

Now, next problem, now I have raced out and bought five week-old poults, who will be not quite two weeks old when "my" chicks hatch. Can they be put in the same (very large) brooder together, or will I need a separate brooder for the hatchees?

Oh crap! I meant, of course Soozorps, not zoosorps - I haven't had any caffeine yet

tis ok = sometimes it seems like a zoo here
and wonderful discovery that caffeine hey :D
‘hard talking’ – yeah that’s me – not backwards coming forward that’s for sure!! A spade is a spade so just call it a spade folks

and - as to the poults = not many realise that for the first 4 weeks turkey poults grow at about the same rate as a std size Orpington, Brahma and some of the Game breeds (all these weigh in between 6 and 9 kg fully grown) then the poults 'explode' into life and grow at a faster rate

there will be a size difference of course and as the older poults will be walking well they may accidentally run over the newbies for a day or 2 BUT the upside = they will teach the newbies to eat and drink and that is very important with turkeys = none of that garbage of leaving them for 24hrs then introducing food and water = they NEED to be eating and drinking within that first 24hrs otherwise there can be issues getting them to eat = not always but sometimes = I prefer not to have the issues

another note of caution = don’t run out and buy any more poults until you get all these ‘up and running’ and you are confident with the species = meant in the nicest way of course = yep = I’ve had my caffeine this morning (not that that means much usually )

P.S. how are the girls going today??

Well, I threw them out of the chook house yesterday, removed the nest box completely, gave the house a good scrub down laid new straw and closed the door.

A chookie wanted to lay, so I let her in, closed the door, let her out later, closed the door. Just before dusk opened the chookie house and the two Mrs Turkeys leapt upon the single chookie egg which I had forgotten to collect, sitting in the straw in the corner of the house. So we had two turkeys sitting on one more than likely infertile chook egg. "My egg". "No, MY egg", "NO, MY EGG". "Wanna share"? "Oh, all right then".

I took the egg, but left them there overnight (still pretty chilly overnight and didn't want to shock them with the cold until they rebuild their strength), then hurled them out again this morning. When we got home this afternoon, what did I find but two Mrs Turkeys sitting on one chookie egg in the other hen house that never gets used (but was today because main chookie house was closed up). Took the egg, hurled them out again. Have let them sleep in the chookie house tonight, will throw them out again in the morning. At least tomorrow I am home all day, so can be more diligent about removing the eggs as soon as they are laid so the turkeys have nothing to sit on.

Unfortunately at the moment I don't have the facilities to move them away from the houses or into suspended cages, but will just keep removing the eggs and throwing them out of the houses until they realise resistance is futile. My husband's away at the moment, but when he gets back we might be able to rig something up so it's less of a circus. At least for the last two days they have enjoyed a good many hours in the sunshine and scratching around.

My three eggies are now in lock down in the incubator, three days 'til hatching - so excited!

Great news that I can put the newbies (if they hatch) in with the other poults. So I don't leave them in the incubator for 24 hours? Just wait until they dry and fluff out a bit then put them in the brooder?

Definately won't be buying any more poults, this is quite enough for me to manage this season and hopefully next year I may get some of my "own" (i.e., breed from our girls - these eggs in the 'bator were purchased).

Thanks again Sooz, it has actually been a huge relief to get them off the nests, especially the originally one, she had been sitting so long. Also I was starting to fret about the state of the chook house, it was overdue for a huck-out.