Naked Neck/Turken Thread

[Phill98]

I reintroduce as a group, but when depends on what preditors you have.  I wait until the chicks are big enough a cat won't go after them.  The main flock can see the broody and the chicks w/ just a fence between them helps w/ re introduction that they can see each other, and that they go back in a group.

So if you didn't have any preditors, you would introduce them to the flock right after hatch? I ask because I don't have any that could get to the run. I will only have to wait until they can't get throught the fencing?

 

[Kassaundra]

So if you didn't have any preditors, you would introduce them to the flock right after hatch? I ask because I don't have any that could get to the run. I will only have to wait until they can't get throught the fencing?

If I didn't have to worry about preditors I would let the broody hatch in the flock. That is natures way, and no reintroduction drama, no double chicken chores making sure both pens / areas are taken care of. Just block off her nest during hatch especially so no nosey nellies can interfere.

 

[chickengr]

So if you didn't have any preditors, you would introduce them to the flock right after hatch? I ask because I don't have any that could get to the run. I will only have to wait until they can't get throught the fencing?

don't forget the predators from above. crows and magpies can steel a chick even from a broody. it is better to keep them enclosed till they are big enough.

 

[alije]

I'm sure this has been asked before but if I cross my turken hen with a fully feathered rooster, what are the chances of a naked neck chick?

The naked-neck trait is controlled by an allele Na. Since this allele is dominant, individuals are either NaNa (no or very small bowtie) or Nana (with bowtie). If naked neck parent is NaNa then this bird crossed with non-naked neck will produce 100% naked necks. If it is naked neck with bowtie, then crossed with non naked neck will produce 50% naked neck and 50% non-naked neck.

 

[Phill98]

If I didn't have to worry about preditors I would let the broody hatch in the flock.  That is natures way, and no reintroduction drama, no double chicken chores making sure both pens / areas are taken care of.  Just block off her nest during hatch especially so no nosey nellies can interfere.

That's just great! Thank you so much for these advices.

don't forget the predators from above. crows and magpies can steel a chick even from a broody. it is better to keep them enclosed till they are big enough.

I don't have any of these. Only preditors that could be a problem are rats, but we don't have them.

 

[DesertChic]

Great summary. I have a question as you put food/water by the hen.. do you find the hen pooping IN the nest? Most of the time I tried that, they ended up pooping in the nest.. as you know broody poop is Big and Nasty.... so I just completely stopped that and what I sometimes do is simply take the hen off the nest, if there aren't any eggs actively zipping and not let her back on until she has at very least pooped. I noticed those tend to stay longer on actively hatching nests than those that don't. I usually do this only for very large clutches or if the eggs are going to have staggered hatch(guilty of adding a few eggs a couple days after setting.. especially if early candling shows some infertiles).

I know this inquiry was directed @Kassaundra but I thought I would pipe in since I had a similar setup to what she described with my last broody hatch. Prior to hatching I provided sustenance inside the pen, but not in the actual nesting area. I noticed that when the first egg unzipped, my mother hen jumped off the nest literally for less than a minute, dropped her massive poop in the pen, but outside of the nest, hopped back atop the eggs and then refused food and drank little water that I put right in the nest for her until the chicks were ready to explore about a day later. Once I saw her eating from the small dish of food I'd placed in the nest and saw the chicks exploring the confines of the nesting box I knew it was safe to move all of them. As soon as they were all in the "nursery", she ate and drank liberally and immediately began instructing the chicks, and never soiled their new "nest" area.

 

[Kassaundra]

Sorry Kev, I don't think I answered that post. I haven' had a problem w/ pooping in the nest, they act so ravenous when I put the food in and eat so heartily I keep doing it. But I am MUCH more concerned to have some water available to them, especially in the summer.

 

[chickengr]

That's just great! Thank you so much for these advices.
I don't have any of these. Only preditors that could be a problem are rats, but we don't have them.

there is no way you have no crows and magpies. there are so many even in the cities in the south europe. this is crow:


and this is magpie:

 

[Phill98]

there is no way you have no crows and magpies. there are so many even in the cities in the south europe. this is crow: and this is magpie:

Noup, just sparrows. Oh and pigeons and turtledoves, but they come very rarely. And about a week ago, a hawk is spending some time on trees around our property. I chased it few times and I don't see it so often anymore. I didn't see it yesterday and I saw it today once just flying around, not sitting on trees. We have never had hawks before and I am scared for chickens and luckily it's snowing right now so they don't get to free range

 

[flower]

chickengr What pretty crows and magpies in Greece. Around here the crows are a solid iridescence black/green blue and not nice at all especially since they are rarely alone. I've never seen a Magpie.

Since I have a good amount of room I let the broody sit in a corner of the coop. In the past I have used a large dog house with an attached crate with small open wire for the placement of food and water.This sits in the far side of the run. The reason for this is to keep the rest of the flock away from the food source. We all know that chickens eat like "pigs"