Broody Turkey hen questions

[Pearlescent]

I have a broody Turkey who has eggs due to hatch any day now, she’s been sitting for 21+ days, the eggs are hers, and I gave them to her at roughly 5-7 days into incubation. One has internally pipped yesterday, but no pip yet. She’s been a great broody, but I have my worries about her still turning the eggs. She turns them white often still, is this damaging to the babies? I’ve read online, for incubators, to stop turning at day 25, Does this also apply to mama hens?
She is human imprinted, but I don’t think that means anything in this case, seeing as her broodyness has been very good and she did breed. I know she still turns frequently from the game cam.

 

[R2elk]

I have a broody Turkey who has eggs due to hatch any day now, she’s been sitting for 21+ days, the eggs are hers, and I gave them to her at roughly 5-7 days into incubation. One has internally pipped yesterday, but no pip yet. She’s been a great broody, but I have my worries about her still turning the eggs. She turns them white often still, is this damaging to the babies? I’ve read online, for incubators, to stop turning at day 25, Does this also apply to mama hens?
She is human imprinted, but I don’t think that means anything in this case, seeing as her broodiness has been very good and she did breed. I know she still turns frequently from the game cam.

Do not try to apply incubator instructions to a broody hen. The hen will normally do a much better job incubating and hatching than any incubator will.

Leave her alone, stop candling and messing with her eggs. She will tell you when the eggs are hatching without you messing with the eggs.

When the eggs are about to hatch and while they are hatching and when she has poults under her, she will talk to them whenever you approach.

 

[Molpet]

I agree...let her do her thing. Now after they hatch is a different story. Mine tend to loose them in the poultry yard the first week or two.

 

[Pearlescent]

Do not try to apply incubator instructions to a broody hen. The hen will normally do a much better job incubating and hatching than any incubator will.

Leave her alone, stop candling and messing with her eggs. She will tell you when the eggs are hatching without you messing with the eggs.

When the eggs are about to hatch and while they are hatching and when she has poults under her, she will talk to them whenever you approach.

Thanks. I haven’t been bothering her, I just forgot when I started the incubation for them, so I had to check on the development. I’m done now, I don’t plan on doing anything until hatch, then I’ll set up a better food and waterer.

 

[Pearlescent]

Do not try to apply incubator instructions to a broody hen. The hen will normally do a much better job incubating and hatching than any incubator will.

Leave her alone, stop candling and messing with her eggs. She will tell you when the eggs are hatching without you messing with the eggs.

When the eggs are about to hatch and while they are hatching and when she has poults under her, she will talk to them whenever you approach.

I have another question, she’s in the coop right now seeing as none of my other birds use it, except the chickens but I provided them with a nesting box outside, so she can be locked in, however, the flooring isn’t the best for poults, and I was wondering if it’d be a good idea to cover it with straw/hay, to avoid them getting to cold or crushed.

First pic is the floor itself, and the second is the board covering most of it. It has very minimal straw because of the heat, but the nest is a huge mound of hay that’d be hard for them to get back into until they are atleast a few days old.

 

[R2elk]

Thanks. I haven’t been bothering her, I just forgot when I started the incubation for them, so I had to check on the development. I’m done now, I don’t plan on doing anything until hatch, then I’ll set up a better food and waterer.

Do not put food and water near the nest. It sttracts unwanted visitors.

 

[Pearlescent]

Do not put food and water near the nest. It sttracts unwanted visitors.

I won’t put it near the nest, but where could I put it then? The coop isn’t that big, it’s roughy 7’ long and 5’ across. Rats can’t get in, it’s very rat proof, but it’s super hot so they’d need water.

 

[R2elk]

I won’t put it near the nest, but where could I put it then? The coop isn’t that big, it’s roughy 7’ long and 5’ across. Rats can’t get in, it’s very rat proof, but it’s super hot so they’d need water.

In a secure coop is not the same as a hen on a hidden nest. Even so keep it several feet away.

 

[Pearlescent]

Update: there was a terrible storm tonight, lightning, thunder, rain & wind. I went out to make sure her location was sheltered enough from the rain and found her helping a poult finish its zip. He made it out right in front of me, she stood up a bit and pushed it underneath her with another hatched poult. There’s just one egg left and it has pipped but not zipped yet, I know that from the game cam.

It was truly a fascinating experience and I am so proud of her.

Thanks for the help everyone

Now it’s sleep time for me, as i must wake up in 5 hours.