Q&A for How to Hatch Turkey Eggs in an Incubator

Give them an extra day or two. Just to be sure, listen to the egg and see if you hear any noise.

You can move them as soon as they're no longer wet, or even before that as long as you have an appropriate heat source in the brooder.

The incubation period is 28 days. You should have the humidity set at 55%, then progress it to 75% humidity on lock down.

Yes, you can. But you will have to turn off the turner on the twenty fifth day, so that it no longer turns the eggs.

It is possible you had the wrong temperature or humidity. It is also best to flip the eggs three times per day.

Yes, but you should carefully note the day she started sitting. This way, you will know what day to stop turning them.

You can hatch the eggs together with no problem -- just time it so they would hatch at the same time. There are many who say don't hatch them together, but it is possible and still you can raise healthy turkeys and chickens.

Don't let them turn. Take them out of the egg turner if you have one. If you don't have one, just stop turning them.

Yes, it is possible. Don't use glue or nail polish, as this could be harmful to the embryo inside. Instead, use melted candle wax and seal across the crack.

Always point the smaller end down in a turner. If no turner is being used, they should lay on their side. Mark one side with an x for daily rotation.

Since birds do not wash their eggs in the wild, there is no good reason to wash them. As a matter of fact, washing can remove the "bloom" (protective coating), increasing risk of contamination. If eggs are extremely dirty/soiled, they can be gently scraped to a reasonable degree of cleanness. They do not have to be spotless.

It can be hard to distinguish them at first, but it gets easier as they grow. Male turkeys are bigger, more brightly colored, have a bald head, develop a beard, have leg spurs, and have black-tipped chest feathers.

Transfer the eggs from the incubator to the hatchery on the 25th day. Make sure it's warm and humid so the young turkeys stay healthy.

There is no way to change the humidity to fit both types. Turkey eggs require more humidity than chicken eggs. Your best bet is to keep them in separate incubators.

No, you do not to remove the other turkeys.

The brooder needs to be big enough for the young chicks to move around in. Give them about 6 square inches of space per chick. Also, keep the heat source about 18 inches above the brooder.

No. The point of turning them is make sure the same side doesn't stay up so the chick doesn't get stuck to the side of the egg.

It should be at about 55% except the three days before the hatch date, then change it to 75%.

After 3 weeks, you can let them outside on warm days. Bring them back into the brooder during cold periods and nights. After 8 weeks, they'll grow feathers and can go to an outdoor coop.

Less than a week is ideal, however, I've had a good hatch from eggs nearly 2 weeks old. It is very cool in my house, though, about 66 degrees.

Yes, you can, but make sure you set the new incubator at least 24 hours before you move the eggs so it can reach the correct temperature and humidity. Turn the eggs as you put them in the new incubator too.

The humidity should be 55% at 37.5 C. Raise this to 70-75% when you stop turning the eggs 3 days before they are due to hatch.

You should set your brooder at the same temperature as they were incubated at (37.5 C) for the first week, then start to lower the temperature by about 2 degrees per week until they are fully feathered.

Single-stage incubators are meant to be used for eggs of the same age. While you can try using it for multiple-stages, you won't be able to control the environment to suit all of the eggs. The humidity is likely going to be a problem that damages some of the eggs.

Yes, that is possible.

Yes, of course. There is a step in the article that states that the eggs should be candled after 1 week of incubation. This can't be done any earlier due to the fact that the embryo will not show up until they have been incubated for at least several days.