Turkey Tragedy....

Yesterday afternoon I made a grissly discovery.

A mama Turkey was off her nest, but the chicks in the nest were dead. Flatten. Squished.

And yet the Mama hen went back to her nest when she saw me and began her protection stance.

Farmer Keith and I went into action. He got ready the tank for containing the chicks and I got food & water ready. Then I went in the room to do battle with the Mama hens. To get them off the nest and out of the room. Using my wool shirt and a piece of cardboard I manage to get them out and rescue the remaining chickies. Amazingly there were 7 still alive. Five were under Turkey Hen 3. All of Turkey Hen 1 were dead and Turkey Hen 2 still had 2 alive though one was very weak.

I'm happy to report that all 7 have survived their first night in their new "nest"

The Mama's are still going back to their nests, even though I cleaned them out. When I shoo them out they end up fighting with the Turkey Hen that didn't get broody.

I have no idea why those Mamas didn't take care of their chickies.

Here's a few pictures of the rescue babies.

The turkey chicks are in the same room as the incubator, which we set up this past weekend.

Hopefully we will have more chicks in May.