Msfur08
Chirping
- May 25, 2019
- 36
- 48
- 99
We have a turkey hen that seems like she is finally going broody after what was maybe a couple false starts. She had a couple nights where she sat on eggs but lost interest during the day. But now she is sitting during the day and hissing at us if we touch her (she wasn't doing that before).
I have two questions here.
1. We have meat chicks arriving next week. My preference, for many reasons, has always been for a hen to raise chicks I've gotten in the past if possible. This is our first time getting meaties. I've read that a regular chicken hen would struggle with meat chicks because of their fast growth, so I was thinking it'd sure be nice if a turkey (being larger already) could raise them for me. (We are getting Freedom Rangers, not CornishX, so these meaties are expected to do some foraging, and it would be nice to have an adult bird show them the ropes.) If this turkey stays broody, would a week of being broody be long enough to possibly accept meat chicks? (I know there is always a possibility of rejection, and we are prepared to raise them if we have to. But I'm wondering if anyone has experience with this.)
2. She made her nest in my garden bed. I don't mind her being there, and she is safe as it is enclosed with an electric fence. However, if we're going to give her chicks, I want her in the enclosed area that we have for chicks/broody hens inside the coop. I'm wondering when the right time would be to move her without breaking her broodiness or stressing her too much. We can make it nice and clean and cozy for her with some bedding and put her eggs in there with her. I've heard of people moving broody hens before, but I'm not sure how long you ought to wait and what the chances are that they will see their eggs and just accept the move.
Note: Once the meaties are a little bigger (whenever they get too big to comfortably be in the enclosed space in the coop), we will be moving them to an entirely separate area away from our layers so they can have separate food. I could keep the turkey hen with them (they will still be within sight of the others) if she is doing well with them. Though, it seems meaties don't need to be kept warm as long as layers, especially since it will be mid June by the time they are 4 weeks old.
Thanks for any experiences or advice anyone can share!
I have two questions here.
1. We have meat chicks arriving next week. My preference, for many reasons, has always been for a hen to raise chicks I've gotten in the past if possible. This is our first time getting meaties. I've read that a regular chicken hen would struggle with meat chicks because of their fast growth, so I was thinking it'd sure be nice if a turkey (being larger already) could raise them for me. (We are getting Freedom Rangers, not CornishX, so these meaties are expected to do some foraging, and it would be nice to have an adult bird show them the ropes.) If this turkey stays broody, would a week of being broody be long enough to possibly accept meat chicks? (I know there is always a possibility of rejection, and we are prepared to raise them if we have to. But I'm wondering if anyone has experience with this.)
2. She made her nest in my garden bed. I don't mind her being there, and she is safe as it is enclosed with an electric fence. However, if we're going to give her chicks, I want her in the enclosed area that we have for chicks/broody hens inside the coop. I'm wondering when the right time would be to move her without breaking her broodiness or stressing her too much. We can make it nice and clean and cozy for her with some bedding and put her eggs in there with her. I've heard of people moving broody hens before, but I'm not sure how long you ought to wait and what the chances are that they will see their eggs and just accept the move.
Note: Once the meaties are a little bigger (whenever they get too big to comfortably be in the enclosed space in the coop), we will be moving them to an entirely separate area away from our layers so they can have separate food. I could keep the turkey hen with them (they will still be within sight of the others) if she is doing well with them. Though, it seems meaties don't need to be kept warm as long as layers, especially since it will be mid June by the time they are 4 weeks old.
Thanks for any experiences or advice anyone can share!
