I Didn't Kill a Turkey Today

Status
Not open for further replies.
jmr40

jmr40

Member
Joined
May 26, 2007
Messages
17,495
Location
Georgia
But I may have saved one.

I spotted these eggs in the middle of a trail. Not on a nest and they would have been predator food shortly so I figured I had nothing to lose by taking it home. The one on the left is deformed with a soft shell and yolk running out the other side. But the other appears fine.

IMG_1649 (1).JPG

I called a friend who is a former game warden, but runs a local ecology center in town where they display wildlife and use it as a learning resource for local schools. He said it had a good chance of hatching if placed in an incubator. So, off to town I go, here it is in the incubator.

IMG_1648 (1).JPG

Ben told me that as long as the mother was not sitting on the egg to begin the incubation process it should be OK for a couple of weeks. But once the incubation process starts it can't stop. It should hatch in about 28 days.

He has 5-6 mallard eggs from a nest that a hawk got into and ran mama off that he is going to place in the incubator along with the turkey egg later today. If they all hatch together there will be the one ugly duckling.
 
We had 5 mallard eggs last year due to similar situation. Somebody got into the nest and mama was reluctant to come back. She had been sitting on the eggs for at least several days, so we tried incubating them. Unfortunately, we did not have a real incubator and tried doing it with a heating pad. We failed. Next time, I will either let nature take its course or get a real incubator. Best of luck to you.
 
Unfortunately, we did not have a real incubator and tried doing it with a heating pad. We failed.
Click to expand...

Based on what I was told today once the hen starts sitting on the eggs that starts the incubation period. Once started it shouldn't be interrupted for very long or the eggs won't hatch. Turkey lay 1-2 eggs per day for up to 2 weeks before the hen starts laying on the eggs. That way the incubation starts at the same time and they all hatch at about the same time. Perhaps the hen was away from the eggs for too long after the incubation period started in your case.

Since the eggs I found were not in a nest, they think it is doubtful the process had ever been started and the chances are good the egg will hatch. They have done this before. Last year a hay farmer ran over and killed a hen sitting on her nest. The farmer picked up 12 eggs and several successfully hatched.
 
Hatching a wild turkey would be pretty awesome. I hope it works. Assuming it does, what will you do with the hatchling?
Click to expand...

I guess I didn't make my original post clear. I'm not doing this at home. I donated the egg to a facility that does these things. I'm a retired teacher, and the director of the ECO-Center where I took the egg is a former student of mine. He worked as a Wildlife Biologist for several years before taking his current job.

Ben does educational programs for schools to teach kids about wildlife and natural resources in GA. He often takes animals to schools for programs. They also open for schools, and other groups to schedule field trips to his facility. You don't have to go as a field trip, anyone can take their kids during the hours the place is open. Ben is sort of our local Jack Hanna.

Rome-Floyd ECO Center (romefloydecocenter.com)

But I will stay in touch and go to visit after it hatches. I'll start another thread, or bring this back in about a month. If the egg hatches it will probably be released in the wild, but it could be transferred to another similar facility for educational purposes.
 
jmr40 said:
Based on what I was told today once the hen starts sitting on the eggs that starts the incubation period. Once started it shouldn't be interrupted for very long or the eggs won't hatch. Turkey lay 1-2 eggs per day for up to 2 weeks before the hen starts laying on the eggs. That way the incubation starts at the same time and they all hatch at about the same time. Perhaps the hen was away from the eggs for too long after the incubation period started in your case.

Since the eggs I found were not in a nest, they think it is doubtful the process had ever been started and the chances are good the egg will hatch. They have done this before. Last year a hay farmer ran over and killed a hen sitting on her nest. The farmer picked up 12 eggs and several successfully hatched.
Click to expand...
There is no way to know for sure why we failed, but I know that we were not able to maintain egg temperature as stable as an incubator would. I'd love to try to make a homemade incubator if I had more time on my hands.
 
Good for you jmr40 for at least giving the egg an honest chance. Could very well have been a young hen that didn't quite know what was going on yet. Many times, hens will ignore the first few eggs they lay because they have not made a nest yet. Sometimes fear and stress will create soft shellers and make hens lay outside the nest. Around here we find random eggs early in the season because of a hard freeze at night before the hen starts to sit. Somehow the hen know the eggs are now no good and deserts them to start a new nest. In most areas of the lower 48, not only is it illegal to possess a protected species, but it is also illegal to possess their eggs or young without a permit. So you did the right thing by taking it to the right person/facility and not trying to do it on your own. Few years back there was an issue with the Hmong community going out and raiding duck and goose nests on the Mississippi, and taking the eggs home to eat fresh and to hatch. This is what they did in their native land and they transferred that habit here after immigrating. They claimed they didn't know better. They do now.[/B]
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top