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We Have A Turkey!

We have a noisy, energetic little turkey!

Chickens take 21 days to hatch and turkeys take 28 days to hatch. I had a plan. Today is Day 18 on the chickens in Incubator #1. Day 18 is the day when they go on “lock down”, meaning that I stop turning the eggs, keep the lid on and start raising the humidity in anticipation of the eggs hatching. I figured I would take these eggs out of the turner and put them on the flat surface. They should begin hatching on Sunday. Sunday is the day when the other chicken eggs go on lock down.

The turkey eggs are all marked “4/11” but that’s apparently the day the lady noticed her hen sitting on them. Her hen would sit for a while but always gives up before the eggs hatch. Apparently she had been sitting on them for a while before 4/11.

Yesterday I kept hearing what sounded like a little bird. I went and checked the eggs in Incubator #1 because those were the ones I thought were closest to hatching. No sign of anything in there. Then I didn’t hear it any more so I decided it must be the baby birds in the nest outside the back door.

Incubator #3 is in my bathroom. Just as Vince was getting ready to start the grill for dinner, I went to the bathroom and heard very loud chirping in that incubator. I went running outside to get Vince!

Eggs

Eggs

We went ahead and put the chicken eggs from Incubator #1 on lock down and added the turkey eggs marked 4/11. This is the state of Turkey #1 at that point.

Turkey

Turkey

Just before I went out to turn off the water hoses, I checked on him and found this.

Turkey Hatching

Turkey Hatching

I came in from turning off the hoses, maybe 5 minutes later and this is what I found.

Our First Turkey

Our First Turkey

There are 15 eggs remaining. I wonder how many will hatch and how long it will take. This is so exciting!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Congratulations turkey mama! So sweet! Boy, once they get started it’s a quick process, isn’t it? I guess if I were out growing my shell, I’d want out quick too. 🙂

  5. Well that had to be a fun surprise. We raised pheasants when we farmed and it was exciting to watch those little chicks grow.

  6. so exciting for sure!!! Love hatching! I have 49 quail eggs in my incubator – due on Mothers Day, yippeee! 🙂

  7. How exciting, Judy! Almost as much fun as being a grandma! =) I wonder how fast he/she will grow. Do you know if it’s a longer process than chickens, or about the same?

    • They start out a good bit larger than a chicken and grow faster. We have to feed them a higher protein feed because they grow so much faster.

  8. I felt like I was going to be a; grandma again as I was reading! So exciting!!!

  9. Congratulations! Its so much fun to watch them hatch! Can’t wait to see the rest

  10. Cool! I have a question, though…will you collect eggs from turkeys and use them like you use chicken eggs, or will you raise them to eat for dinner. I hope I’m not offending you by asking this city-girl question.

    • The lady who gave me the eggs told me that they tried to cook the eggs for their dogs but they’re real rubbery so no, we won’t be eating them. We may or may not eat them . . depends on how many we end up with and how hard or easy they are to keep. Eventually, we will grow some turkeys to eat . . just not sure if it will be these.

  12. Judy , I so enjoy your escapades. You are living a life full of surprises, new things, and new adventures. And your blog is documenting it all… lucky you.

  16. Oh my goodness. That is so cool. I know you’re so excited. It will be so much fun to see how many more hatch. Congrats!

  18. Oh what fun. I wonder how soon the others will hatch. Sure didn’t take long for it to come out.

  20. We have 11 hens and lots and lots of eggs. No rooster so no babies. I’ll just enjoy yours with you. This is so eggsciting!!

  22. Congrats! You are a mommie again! Such run! You are going to need at least one more coop.

  23. Such a proud momma! With pictures too! So fun to enjoy along with you.

  24. Congratulations! Life on the farm……….Will (s)he be big enough to eat by Thanksgiving?????? Then again if it’s got a great personality it will be forever spared! Please send frequent egg/chicken updates! I feel like I’m on this journey with you! Thank you for the experience!

    • They say about 6 months from hatching til grown so the timing is about right but I’m not sure we’ll do it.

    • Turkeys can imprint but that’s not the plan. These will be free ranging in the orchard so I hope they don’t become too attached to us.

  27. Congrats! That baby turkey looks so tuckered out from getting out of his shell. I love turkeys.

  28. How fun! They are going to keep you busy for a while!

  30. I’m a city raised girl so please forgive this maybe dumb question…..if there is no bird momma around, how do these new hatched babies eat, or, who feeds them?

  31. So exciting! Congratulations on your little baby turkey! Please keep us posted on your egg hatching adventures especially with pictures!!

  34. I;m so excited for you! You’re going to have a whole flock in a few days. Congratulations on the newest addition to your feathered family.

  35. Congratulations, did you and Vince pass out cigars? How exciting can;t wait to see other pictures.

  36. So wait, you heard him chirping or peeping or whatever before he broke outta the shell? If that’s so, I NEVER knew that!! But that’s what it sounded like you heard him before he cracked the shell?

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