In my experience, turkey eggs are some of the easiest poultry to hatch–even if youre a beginner. The method I’ve used to consistently achieve 2010% hatch rates using small tabletop incubators is going to be broken down step-by-step for you in this article. Photo Credit: Salt in My Coffee.
Recently, I’ve heard from many other homesteaders that they’re having particular difficulty hatching turkey eggs. While watching a broody hen raise a cute little brood can be especially comforting, female chickens of all kinds aren’t always broody when you need them to be, and there are times when you really need to be able to hatch eggs on your own!
I hope this post will be useful to anyone who wants to confidently and successfully hatch their own turkey poults using an incubator. Its so much fun, and so rewarding! Photo Credit: Salt in My Coffee.
I will walk you through the entire process in this longer post, beginning at the beginning, because I want to be as thorough as possible. If all you need to know is the temperature and incubator humidity settings, feel free to tap the “jump to” button below to quickly access the printable cheat sheet.
For the rest of you, lets start at the very beginning. Photo Credit: Salt in My Coffee.
There are two sources for turkey eggs that hatch: your flock or the flock of someone else. If you want to hatch eggs from your own flock, you will definitely benefit from being able to control the diet and living conditions of your mother hen as well as how you handle the eggs once you collect them.
Although turkey eggs are a tasty and nourishing treat, hatching them can be challenging. Candling is a crucial component of a successful turkey egg incubation process as it enables you to track the embryo’s growth inside the egg. But when is the right time to candle turkey eggs?.
The Short Answer:
The optimal time to candle turkey eggs is between 8 and 10 days after incubation begins. This is because the embryo is large enough to be visible at this stage, but not so large that it obscures the air cell.
The Long Answer:
Candling turkey eggs is a delicate process that requires a bit of practice It’s important to use a dim light source, such as a flashlight or a dedicated egg candler, and to hold the egg gently so as not to damage it
When you candle an egg, you’re looking for two things:
- The air cell: This is a small space at the blunt end of the egg that contains air. As the embryo develops, it will use up the oxygen in the air cell, causing it to shrink.
- The embryo: This is the developing chick. At first, it will appear as a small, dark spot. As it grows, it will become more visible and you will be able to see its blood vessels.
Here’s a more detailed timeline of turkey egg development:
- Days 1-3: The embryo is very small and difficult to see.
- Days 4-7: The embryo is starting to grow and the blood vessels are becoming more visible.
- Days 8-10: The embryo is large enough to be easily seen and the air cell is starting to shrink.
- Days 11-14: The embryo continues to grow and the air cell continues to shrink.
- Days 15-25: The embryo is fully developed and the air cell is very small.
- Day 26: The chick hatches.
Tips for Candling Turkey Eggs:
- Use a dim light source.
- Hold the egg gently.
- Rotate the egg slowly to get a good view of the embryo.
- If you’re not sure what you’re seeing, consult a more experienced poultry breeder.
FAQs:
- Can I candle turkey eggs too early?
Yes, but it’s not recommended. The embryo might not be visible and the egg might be damaged if you candle the eggs too soon.
- Can I candle turkey eggs too late?
Yes, but it’s not as effective. If you candle the eggs too late, the embryo may be too large to see clearly.
- What if I see a clear egg when I candle it?
This means that the egg is infertile and will not hatch.
- What if I see a blood ring when I candle it?
This means that the embryo has died.
Additional Resources:
Candling turkey eggs is an important part of successful incubation. By following the tips and guidelines in this article, you can increase your chances of hatching healthy chicks.
Should you wash turkey hatching eggs?
Ive alluded to this above, but I find its best to hatch clean, unwashed eggs. If your eggs are dirty, muddy, or covered in poop, please ignore the Facebook photos of people stuffing incubators full of soiled eggs (you’re lucky if you haven’t seen these). its a thing!). This is great way to end up with bacteria in your incubator and it can really end poorly.
Wash those dirty eggs or quickly wipe them down with a dry cloth, and then put them back. They should be fine.
Before setting your turkey eggs, make sure your incubator is completely cleaned and sanitized the day before. I clean my incubators at the end of each season, but I always give them a good cleaning before I set them up for each hatch.
Plug in your incubator, and let it come up to temperature. I always like to nail down the temperature, before getting the humidity level adjusted if necessary. I can’t stress how important it is to get a separate thermometer/hygrometer to monitor the conditions if your incubator is digital and has a built-in thermometer and preset temperature. These ones are inexpensive, and Ive found them to be reliable.
If you must adjust the temperature, do so gradually and wait for the temperature to stabilize before making larger changes. Dont rush this process. Make sure your incubator has been steadily maintaining the right temperature for at least six hours before adding your eggs.
It is far worse to set the incubator now and have it fluctuate for the first day or two while you struggle to get it to hold the proper temperature than it is to store your eggs for an extra day and wait to set it until you get the setting consistently correct. Keep this in mind. Photo Credit: Salt in My Coffee.
Gathering and storing hatching eggs
Unless your flock of turkeys is very large, you probably won’t have enough eggs for your incubator for several days. My turkeys tend to lay in the afternoon. I know others who have girls that lay in the mornings. Regardless of the time of day your hens lay, it is a good idea to go gather the eggs while they are still fresh and as clean as possible.
Store the eggs in a cool place. between 45-60F is ideal. Turning the eggs multiple times a day is a good idea while they’re waiting to be placed in the incubator. I’ve discovered that the easiest way to do this is to tip a carton that contains them from side to side.
Youll want to set the eggs within 7 days of being laid, if possible. Eggs set to incubate sooner rather than later will yield the best and easiest hatch, even though eggs older than a week can still hatch (we have all seen wild mama hens with up to twelve babies, which clearly took her longer than a week to lay). Photo Credit: Salt in My Coffee.