Accidentally disturbed wild Turkey nest

[HollisHouseHomestead]

I live in a rural area (in Florida) and have wild turkeys all over my property. I've been doing a bit of land clearing in an area of my property where I'm going to be building a woodshop and a barn and yesterday I was moving debris and I tossed a stick into an open growth area and I accidentally hit a female turkey. She flew her nest and almost hit me in the head while leaving hahaha. I wondered why I hadn't seen her fly away before as I must have walked within inches of her and been using a tractor and chainsaws within 10 yards of her constantly over the weekend. Knowing this, I wondered if she was incubating some eggs so I carefully looked around and found a nest of about 7 large turkey eggs. I left it alone and am not going to be doing anymore clearing in that area until I know they are hatched (This was around 5 or 6 pm). However, I noticed she had still not come back by midnight last night before I went to bed.

My question is this, how long before it's too long for her to come back? I have an incubator and a brooder but have never tried hatching Turkey eggs and I have no clue how long she has been incubating so far. I've read they need to be turned 6-7 times per day. Should I take the eggs and start incubating them? It has been over 12 hours now with no heat on them and was warm yesterday but it got down into the high 50's last night/this morning.

Any advice appreciated in advance.

 

[R2elk]

I live in a rural area (in Florida) and have wild turkeys all over my property. I've been doing a bit of land clearing in an area of my property where I'm going to be building a woodshop and a barn and yesterday I was moving debris and I tossed a stick into an open growth area and I accidentally hit a female turkey. She flew her nest and almost hit me in the head while leaving hahaha. I wondered why I hadn't seen her fly away before as I must have walked within inches of her and been using a tractor and chainsaws within 10 yards of her constantly over the weekend. Knowing this, I wondered if she was incubating some eggs so I carefully looked around and found a nest of about 7 large turkey eggs. I left it alone and am not going to be doing anymore clearing in that area until I know they are hatched (This was around 5 or 6 pm). However, I noticed she had still not come back by midnight last night before I went to bed.

My question is this, how long before it's too long for her to come back? I have an incubator and a brooder but have never tried hatching Turkey eggs and I have no clue how long she has been incubating so far. I've read they need to be turned 6-7 times per day. Should I take the eggs and start incubating them? It has been over 12 hours now with no heat on them and was warm yesterday but it got down into the high 50's last night/this morning.

Any advice appreciated in advance.

The hen will not likely come back while you are watching. Whether or not she comes back, do not collect the eggs and try to incubate them. If you are concerned about them, contact your local game warden or DNR agent.

It is illegal to collect and incubate the eggs. Depending on what your state regulations are, you may be able to buy a permit to have Wild turkeys but no state allows the collecting of turkey eggs from the wild.

 

[MGG]

She might still be building her clutch. Seven eggs is not a full clutch size. She probably abandoned them if she hasn't started sitting yet. Was it in the morning when you scared her? I would do as R2elk suggested and contact a rehabber of you want to try and save them.

 

[HollisHouseHomestead]

The hen will not likely come back while you are watching. Whether or not she comes back, do not collect the eggs and try to incubate them. If you are concerned about them, contact your local game warden or DNR agent.

It is illegal to collect and incubate the eggs. Depending on what your state regulations are, you may be able to buy a permit to have Wild turkeys but no state allows the collecting of turkey eggs from the wild.

Thanks for the quick reply. I haven't been "watching" I just went back to see if she had come back about 7 hours later and noticed she was not there, then again 7-8 more hours (this morning) I check again, keeping a safe distance, and she was still not there. Since I found it at 5 pm yesterday, aside from the two times I checked to see if she had come back, I have not been in that area of the property.

My question still remains the same and unanswered though, how long is too long away from the clutch? I'll go back and check again around noon and if she's still not there that will be about 19 hours away from them. Should I call game warden/DNR then?

 

[HollisHouseHomestead]

She might still be building her clutch. Seven eggs is not a full clutch size. She probably abandoned them if she hasn't started sitting yet. Was it in the morning when you scared her? I would do as R2elk suggested and contact a rehabber of you want to try and save them.

I scared her in the late afternoon around 5:00 pm

 

[MGG]

If you want to save them contact someone asap. 4-5 hours off the nest is when I would start to worry. 12 hours and I would be contacting someone. They definitely need help if she's not back. Can you go candle them?

 

[R2elk]

Thanks for the quick reply. I haven't been "watching" I just went back to see if she had come back about 7 hours later and noticed she was not there, then again 7-8 more hours (this morning) I check again, keeping a safe distance, and she was still not there. Since I found it at 5 pm yesterday, aside from the two times I checked to see if she had come back, I have not been in that area of the property.

My question still remains the same and unanswered though, how long is too long away from the clutch? I'll go back and check again around noon and if she's still not there that will be about 19 hours away from them. Should I call game warden/DNR then?

As @MGG pointed out, she may not have been brooding them yet. It is common for a turkey to lay 10 to 12 eggs or more before going broody. In that case they are not in any danger from not being set on. The hen may or may not return to the nest. The more you keep checking the nest, the less likely she will be to return.

What may seem to you to be a safe distance is very likely not considered a safe distance by the hen. If you can see the nest, you are too close.

If you are concerned about the eggs, do contact the game warden or DNR agent.

Unfortunately if the hen does not return, this is a part of nature. If she doesn't ereturn, she will start a new clutch somewhere else. Hens lose their nests too often for numerous reasons including human interference, predators and weather conditions.

Hatching the eggs and imprinting the poults makes them unfit for reintroduction to the wild. It really is best to not interfere at all.

 

[R2elk]

If you want to save them contact someone asap. 4-5 hours off the nest is when I would start to worry. 12 hours and I would be contacting someone. They definitely need help if she's not back. Can you go candle them?

This is bad advice. It is illegal to bother the nest. The best advice is to just leave it alone. If concerned, contact the local game warden or DNR agent and let them deal with the situation.

 

[MGG]

As @MGG pointed out, she may not have been brooding them yet. It is common for a turkey to lay 10 to 12 eggs or more before going broody. In that case they are not in any danger from not being set on. The hen may or may not return to the nest. The more you keep checking the nest, the less likely she will be to return.

What may seem to you to be a safe distance is very likely not considered a safe distance by the hen. If you can see the nest, you are too close.

If you are concerned about the eggs, do contact the game warden or DNR agent.

Unfortunately if the hen does not return, this is a part of nature. If she doesn't ereturn, she will start a new clutch somewhere else. Hens lose their nests too often for numerous reasons including human interference, predators and weather conditions.

Hatching the eggs and imprinting the poults makes them unfit for reintroduction to the wild. It really is best to not interfere at all.

X2! She will probably go renest somewhere else. They abandon their nests really quickly if for some reason they don't like something while building their clutch. They just disappear and find somewhere better.

 

[MGG]

This is bad advice. It is illegal to bother the nest. The best advice is to just leave it alone. If concerned, contact the local game warden or DNR agent and let them deal with the situation.

I would just check and see if they're actually developing. If they are I would then contact someone. If they aren't I would just leave it.