Cold weather and turkey eggs

[double browtine]

So I was breaking up some ground for our garden yesterday and almost ran over a hen sitting on a nest of 12 eggs. It was right next to our garden spot in some tall weeds. Made me think about it again with the frost this morning on my windshield. How does the really cold weather affect the eggs? Seems like they wouldn't hatch if they got too cold.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

Theoretically, I suppose they could get cold enough to freeze and kill the embryo. But a 38* morning with light frost isn't going to do it. And that would only be a concern if there was an unprecedented cold snap that hit during the week or two after a nest has been started but before all the eggs were laid and the hen starts incubating. I suppose it has probably happened in more northern areas, but I can't imagine it being a problem in TN. I think God accounted for some cold spring mornings when he made turkeys.

 

[megalomaniac]

totally not an issue.

During laying, while hens are visiting the nest only once a day for 30m or so, they eggs can get down to 25 degrees or so for short periods of time without freezing completely. If any eggs freeze and crack, they will just kick them out of the nest and continue laying until they hit their magic 10-14 number to start setting.

Once they start setting at 99.7 degrees to incubate, the eggs can cool down once or twice a day for a couple/ three hours with no ill effects (other than it delays development and may prolong total incubation time) during the first 14 days of incubation. The time off nest becomes more important during the 3rd week of incubation, but daytime temps have increased by then. By the 4th week of incubation, they will not tolerate much cooling, and the hen won't even leave the nest for that entire week to feed or drink. They even quit rotating the eggs the last 3-4 days to allow the poults to orient themselves within the egg so their beak faces the internal air pocket on the large end of the egg.

And what's even more impressive, the hen instinctively knows how long she can be off the nest based on ambient air temps without the poults dying within the egg.

 

[woodsman04]

Really would only be an issue after incubation began, and that would only be an issue if the hen didn't return for a very long time period.

They are so amazing. Ground nesting birds. Large birds. Incubate all night long for 28 days. Everything is trying to eat them and their eggs. And the poults.

And people want to make it easier to kill more turkeys by using 70 yard guns and fans.

I will never understand why people want to take the easy/cheating route on anything sporting.

 

[woodsman04]

So I was breaking up some ground for our garden yesterday and almost ran over a hen sitting on a nest of 12 eggs. It was right next to our garden spot in some tall weeds. Made me think about it again with the frost this morning on my windshield. How does the really cold weather affect the eggs? Seems like they wouldn't hatch if they got too cold.

I hope she comes back. That would be interesting to see the poults

 

[Urban_Hunter]

I will never understand why people want to take the easy/cheating route on anything sporting.

Why even use a gun or a compound bow? Or calls?

 

[Huntaholic]

Unless they get cold enough to freeze and bust, it wont hurt a thing. Once the hen starts the "setting" process though, those eggs have to stay at a pretty much constant temperature to hatch.

 

[megalomaniac]

Unless they get cold enough to freeze and bust, it wont hurt a thing. Once the hen starts the "setting" process though, those eggs have to stay at a pretty much constant temperature to hatch.

Actually, they really don't have to stay at a constant temp.

Eggs are fine dropping 15 to 20 degrees during incubation for up to a couple/ three hours at a time as the hen gets off the nest during the first 2-3 weeks to stretch/ water/ feed/ or gets bumped off by predators. The embryos inside the egg don't die, but they do go into a form of 'suspended animation' where development is temporarily halted until incubation temp is resumed. But if that happens multiple times during the standard 28 day incubation period, actual hatching may take 29 or 30 days instead of 28. Now during the last week of incubation, temp stability is critical. Hens that nest very close to food/ water and only have to take 15-20 min breaks once a day to get those basic needs in the first 3 weeks will often have their poults hatch in 27 days instead of the 'standard' 28 days.

 

[double browtine]

That is some great information guys!! I think I'll put my trail cam on a post and see how things progress with her and the nest.

 

[tellico4x4]

Blown away at the knowledge here!

 

[TnKen]

That is some great information guys!! I think I'll put my trail cam on a post and see how things progress with her and the nest.

Good idea. I saw a thread on another forum that a guy put his cam on a nest. It had quite the following.

 

[Carlos]

That is some great information guys!! I think I'll put my trail cam on a post and see how things progress with her and the nest.

You can do whatever you want, of course- but I'd stay away from the area myself.
Just so I didn't draw any attention, with scent or tracks that attracts nest raiders.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

You can do whatever you want, of course- but I'd stay away from the area myself.
Just so I didn't draw any attention, with scent or tracks that attracts nest raiders.

Additionally, if she gets bumped off the nest much more she may abandon it and try again somewhere else.

 

[double browtine]

So my son just snuck up there and got above her in elevation and spotted her through binoculars.