After you open the incubator to remove chicks, spay a fine mist of water over the remaining eggs. That will help raise the humidity again and help the rest that are still hatching.

Every time you open the INCUBATOR you let out the heat and humidity. They need constant humidity so they can get out of their shells

I have to add my voice to those urging you to be patient with the hatching process. It isn't easy to watch without wanting to help, but the best help is to don't. ❤ You have a lovely herd, and to preserve the wild turkeys is a beautiful undertaking. I look forward to many more successes in your conservation efforts. ❤❤❤

@milthopper6780

10 күн бұрын

Difficult to not help hatch, if you help you lose 50%. They need to fight their own was out to strengthen their muscles. Whenever you open to examine eggs or remove chicks, lightly mist over eggs to restore humidity. Such a large loss that you experienced makes me think that they were not handled properly before You got them.

Couple of things that I noticed was you are supposed to remove the egg turner when you put them in lock down or the last 3 days. Next time try raising your humidity a little bit, being too dry is one of the reasons that make it hard for them to hatch. Keep trying and good luck.

@user-kv2pt4lu9y

10 күн бұрын

Correct!

First few hatches are always sketchy....til you get the hang of it. Dont give up!!!

I have hatched hundreds of chicks been my experience that if you have to help them it usually doesn't work out for the best. First one needs to let the eggs rest after received pointed end down at room temp for at least 2 hours. Key is to have let them hatch on their own the strong will survive the weak won't. Keeping a high humidity during lock down is key with hatching also. Don't remove the incubator lid unnecessarily then only very briefly or you will lose your humidity. Some can be a day late for whatever reason. I leave unhatched eggs in the incubator for 2 days after the last hatchling is born. Never have done turkeys but is true with chickens ducks and pheasants. Don't give, up your doing a good thing maybe a more reputable source for eggs other than ebay is in order. Refrigerated eggs have a much lower hatch rate. Just some of the things I have noticed after years of hatching my own birds.

@meme-rv6fp

10 күн бұрын

I don't understand why everyone has to put their beaks in water. How did they ever live in the past without human help. People make it hard on themselves.

@tammywragg6254

10 күн бұрын

​@@meme-rv6fp They need to know where it is..and who says there has been no human help

@user-kv2pt4lu9y

10 күн бұрын

​@@meme-rv6fp for all chicks gatched in an incubator, it is recommended by the hatceries to dip beaks in water and feed to teach them where to find food and water. They do not have their hen to teach them, after all.

@catherinequigley569

10 күн бұрын

Any shipped eggs should be left to rest 12-24 hours, pointed end down, before putting in the incubator.

@dolliemaesone

10 күн бұрын

Talk to the Ok wildlife department! Maybe they have a breeding program 😊

My husband and I have extensive experience hatching and raising birds of all kinds. Eggs that have been shipped never hatch as well. Larger incubators work better. Be careful about humidity. And you’re right - if they can’t get out of the egg on their own, they usually don’t survive. Keep trying. Turkeys are harder to raise, but experience helps!

@CrossTimbersBison

9 күн бұрын

Thank you! You’re one of the more constructive and nicer commentators!

You’re learning. You’re trying. Bravo, Dusty. Conservation in so many ways.

@CrossTimbersBison

9 күн бұрын

Yes! Thank you!

@MoPets888

5 күн бұрын

Good job for your efforts 👏 👍 👌

It's so hard seeing you leave the cover on the incubator open so long. It's killing the humidity and drying the eggs out and that's why the poults are getting shrink wrapped

@mhariett3718

10 күн бұрын

Totally correct. Humidity is crucial.

@lonelypatriot9334

10 күн бұрын

I second this comment.

@gossamerabba

10 күн бұрын

I really hope he sees these comments about humidity and not breaking them out of shells too soon..

@ctfsh9497

10 күн бұрын

Have to add water periodically

@catherinequigley569

10 күн бұрын

I agree!

If you need help with the bird from the shell, please be careful to remove the shell without breaking the membrane as the bird may still be attached to it. Aunt used to have chicks & ducks, that's where I learned about that.

Oh man, leaving the incubator open is a death sentence unless you get the humidity backmup immediately.

Please, close the door on the incubator! Makes me nervous...

It is admirable what you are doing to restore the population of wild turkeys. Has it been considered an endangered species yet, and if so, could you possibly get some grants or assistance to get more eggs? I also think you are doing the right thing by holding on to the ones that have hatched, and try to increase the flock before releasing them. They will have better chances or survival and less likely to be eaten. They will definitely have strengths in numbers. Can you imagine the day when you go down by the creek, or off into some of the timber areas, and hear a whole flock of turkeys going crazy. That would be so awesome! Good luck with everything.

I didn't know wild turkey eggs were available for hatching and release! I also learned some things from the comments. When you do release them, or their offspring eventually, I would notify all the honest neighbors within a reasonable radius of your intention so that harvesting will not happen for several years. A healthy population of wild turkeys is a wonderful addition to the diversity of wildlife. Good luck.

I would like to see more about Dunbar and his ladies please

What you can do is put the turkey eggs under chicken hens Also VERY important for your turkeys - Feed them grass clippings (very fine) clippings Turkeys eat grass so they need that from the start with your chicken feed I feed them a handful 2-3 times a day

I love that conservation is so important to you! You make me feel like there is still hope for our world, for our sick planet. Thank you so much for that. With love and prayers for you all. From Donna Gulyas in Florida.

I always candle posted eggs before setting, the chalaza often snaps through rough handling during delivery and they won't hatch. If the hatch is sticky due to low humidity you can wrap the partially hatched in wet kitchen towel/mist with warm water. NEVER pick at the pointy end where the remaining yolk is to be absorbed. You'll cause bleeding and sometimes full herniation. Best of luck.

Stay on the path you have set for the turkey's. Slow and steady wins the race. Forget big numbers, quality over quantity will be your success moving forward. Love the variety in your videos, Bison, Turkey's, Horses, working dogs and the land use. Thank you.

After raising a few baby turkeys ( marshmallows on sticks), I found they are not the brightest bird on the block. I put colored marbles in their water and food and they learned to eat and drink. Had no problems when they were old enough to take outside, until I had to slowly turn their cage sideways to get it out the door, one got so scared it up and died immediately. Found turkeys were the only baby birds I had trouble with.

@user-kv2pt4lu9y

10 күн бұрын

Marbles in the water tray are great with any newly hatched chicks!

@lornahardin4563

10 күн бұрын

@@user-kv2pt4lu9y I'm sure of it, but turkeys were the ones that would die of starvation with food right beside them.

@user-kv2pt4lu9y

10 күн бұрын

@@lornahardin4563 i redipped beaks on all my poults, until i saw them eating and drinking on their own. I do not recall loosing any poults the summer that i hatched a bunch, back in 2011 or 12.

One good thing you can do if they start hatching with stuck shell is use a qtip and dipping it in water, gently help moisten the shell. Also you can put a small capful of water in the incubator to add humidity. Also, you can turn off the lights and use a flashlight to candle the eggs to see if they are alive and ready and the shells may just be too dry for them to get out.

A few days ago,in Michigan,after my 3rd shift job in the morning after 6:30am I wanna tell everyone I counted 15 baby Turkeys❤🎉!!! Dusty,Marisa ,n Brooks woulda loved it!!! So that was just after the 4th of July 2024! I nicely Beeped my Vehicle horn cuz they were starting to cross the parking lot n I wanted to train them to go back into the taller grass to keep safer!!! Thanks for being a 🦃 Turkey helper too Dusty!!! We are All Proud of you n your family's efforts along with DeJays n Daniel her husband n their family n your mom n Kevin n Doc Parsons n all the others!!! God Bless n protect n Guide your family too!!! N Jesus to Save you from Severe Harm!!! Til later!!! Thank you all Tons!!!

So good to see the Bison! Hopefully you are getting some of this rain we are getting today! So cool that your turkeys are hatching!

@dolliemaesone

10 күн бұрын

Enjoying the rain here in Norman

@Okie_GiGi

10 күн бұрын

@@dolliemaesone yes it has been nice!

Dusty, as I watched you remove the shell, I was thinking what miracle a new life is.

Thank you Dusty for caring about conservation of wildlife!!! I love love what you and Marissa are doing!!❤️

That's a wonderful thing you are doing. I did something along those lines with our very low pheasant population in Minnesota when we had our farm. But I didn't have eggs, I made protected nesting areas by taking all the sumac that I was clearing out of the pasture, and I stood them all vertically and made a fortress so the hens could go in and lay eyes and the fox could not reach them. Also, they stayed close to the fortress for safety. Was so cool to know they had a fighting chance.

I like your plan to grow the ones you hatched and maybe get some more young ones and then release them when they are older. Good job!!!

I don't think you're meant to help them out the egg like that. Live and learn. Please c.lose the lid. 🙏🙏❤️❤️

Its s learning curve to hatching out any egg.

That sounds like a good plan, Dusty. Having the mommas raise their own chicks may have better success.

Hi Dusty, Marissa and Brooks. Cora is beautiful but she is the boss. Adorable baby turkeys. Hopefully they all survive God bless and love yall ❤❤

Good hatch rate is usually 50% - turkeys are hard to raise. Keep on trying.

Dusty you need to shine a light into the eggs to see if they are valid. Aka candle light them. You can take a bright flashlight or a bright light through the bottom to see if its a bad egg. When you get the eggs from shipping. Put them in the incubator. After a few days or a week. Then candle light them. To see if there is veins inside the shell. Thats how you know the egg is valid. Any that dont have veins are bad. Remove those.

Great idea reintroducing the wild indigenous turkeys to your region! I love seeing them in the spring here in New Hampshire! Stay Blessed! 🙏❤️‍🩹🕊️✝️✡️🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Good luck with your wild turkey hatchlings!!

Please watch videos on how to save the baby chick's, it's still a possibility but ...also you're messing up the humidity when uncovering them. Which dries their inner lining to the eggs

To my knowledge you can not tell if they are fertile eggs till after 12-15 days in incubator when you then candle them. You should be able to start seeing blood veins and a mass showing that they are fertile and a poult is growing. I know a person who used to incubate 1500+ duck eggs each year (donated the meat to a local homeless food kitchen) and if the shell were sticking he would spray the chick/duckling with a small water bottle to re moisten the shell membrane to get it to let go. Turkey are harder to successfully hatch from everything I have read. Yes your best bet will be that you have a few pair in that batch that you can get eggs and hatch your own to then release into the wild. A few do that here with Pheasants and they will tag one of the legs on the males with a phone number (each year a different color) to hopefully get a count of how many were taken during hunting season. They do this to know how many to order the next spring to repeat the process.

You need to ask Marie from Random Okie Farm to hatch you some! She has a big incubator and has been doing it for years!

Good luck with the chicks. Love you guys, Prayers and GOD Bless!!

Stuck shell can mean not enough moisture at hatching time. I'm unfamiliar with how much moisture turkeys need

Good luck with the turkeys! It is great to see you try to raise them!

Hang in there Dusty! You have a good heart…I am glad you will be raising them on the ranch. Maybe you will have more next year naturally…

It's OK, mother nature has her own time with all creatures. But I think you got some good ideas...love your stories and every character on the ranch 🦬🐎🐕🐈🦃🐓🦢🦆🐣🐔🌻

You need to watch A Chick Called Albert and White House on the Hill. I learned a lot from these and probably all you needed to do is add some mist to the batch. I love watching your videos. Great job anyway! Thanks for sharing.

@jsnanax4.

10 күн бұрын

Yes, love that channel

Turkey hatchlings are so hard to raise from eggs unless it's an extremely well isolated and controlled environment. You really have to watch them closely as they seem to stress over the smallest things. Hopefully your endeavors are a success.

Hi Dusty. Well, the trolls were out to get you about the turkey hatching. The problem with "social media " is that it isn't very social and allows or even encourages some people say rude and nasty things they would never have the courage to say to somebody's face. Armchair quarterbacking is so easy and gutless when done anonymously from a distance. I hope you can take the kindly offered advice to heart for the next round of birds. I'm from Alaska where the only turkeys we have are the human kind and I remember how thrilling it was when I first saw a flock of wild turkeys in Colorado. Keep up the good work. 😊

@CrossTimbersBison

3 күн бұрын

You are correct! Thank you! ❤️

@czgator9000

Күн бұрын

I think you have gotten the wrong impression. Mine was that people with experience were trying to advise someone who is new to the hatching process. My family raised quail and turkeys (and cattle) and I cringed every time that lid was opened. I do believe your claim about having human turkeys in Alaska.

When the membrane dries out get you some warm water and sponge the area that is dry to help the babies get free. You can also put a drop or to down in the shell, just make sure it isn’t around their face or it will drown it. I have had to help small parrots out of the egg. Humidity is very important.

Good luck with all your new projects. Interesting to see the different things you are trying. I like to wathc the bison. They are a very interesting animal. May God bless your family.

So sorry more didn’t hatch. Turkey eggs. We like what you’re doing as conservation. Your education has done you well. You’re a good teacher Dusty even for us that grew up in a city environment. We hope you all have a great week. Brooke is growing.

@CrossTimbersBison

9 күн бұрын

Thank you!

Wow Baby's Trukey!! I wouldn't help they !! Love n Blessings

Curious have you tried whistling at the remaining eggs to see if the chicks responds? There is a KZread channel called "A Chick Called Albert", it's a egg/bird rescue and when eggs are late hatching he places them on a flat surface and whistles at the egg. If the chick is still alive the egg will rock and/or respond back with a call Love your channel.

You do what you have to do Dusty I’m all for it God Bless you and your family

It is imperative to keep the lid of the incubator closed! If you must move dried chicks out, do it quickly and as stated previously, spritz with water and close the lid. If chicks shrink wrap, you can sometimes wrap them in a moist paper towel to loosen the membrane. Always give the eggs at least 3 days past the hatch date, just in case!! If you could find a pair of adult turkey, you might be able to get the hen to hatch some shipped eggs for you, if she goes bloody. If not, silkie hens are famous for hatching eggs from other fowl!! Just an option.

You keep on bison ranchin' and I'll keep on watchin' & supportin' ya!♡♡

@CrossTimbersBison

9 күн бұрын

Thank you!

We have lots in Wisconsin. Even in urban areas. This was not always the case tho. I never saw them growing up. There was an effort to reintroduce them. Now they are every where thriving. I saw one a few weeks ago with a broken wing. Saw him a couple of times after, each time the wing being self amputated a little more until one day he showed up with only one wing. Doing just fine.

Trusty, best of luck to you in raising your turkeys. Good luck. Be safe out there at all times God bless you and your family Ken from Pennsylvania.

AWESOME you'll raising wild turkeys ❤😊

So glad they are getting along ❤

Ask Houston & Daniel !! 😆 Great advice on here!

Dusty, I've used broodie usually Silkie hens as excellent incubators for other breeds of chickens and peacocks. I have known other people to use them to hatch turkeys. The broodie hen is very successful at removing variables of incubators.

Hello Dusty and Marisa I love that you are looking at other conservation opportunities. I am looking forward to seeing how they turkeys and the new Austrolorps do! I haven’t seen Betty lately. Is she okay? Blessings ❤ ~Linda

Wishing you luck with the turkey 🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃👍

Thanks, that’s a great idea best of luck. ✌🏻👊🏼

Great advice has been posted. It’s hard not to help but nature has this down. Have fun in the turkey adventures.

I dont know what kind they were, but my sister used to live next to a big woods and lake. The wild turkeys ran across her yard from one area to another. We'd be there sitting in the yard and they'd be passing through all the time. And they were SO tall!

White House on the Hill raises birds and talks about incubators. As did a recent video by Gold Shaw Farm. Heat and humidity are very sensitive - not all incubators are well regulated. I'm sure a bunch of us were yelling, close the incubator! Nine is fairly good hatch-rate.

Good idea. Good goal.

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍thumbs up for doing that Dusty always great to see and hear that someone is willing to go the whole hog into conservation the way you are doing. Firstly you are helping the bison 🦬 which is a native animal and now you're trying to help the native turkey population by using your own money to buy and hatch the turkey eggs. Sometimes you have down days then others you can have every egg hatch out. I will tell you though to listen to others who can be and are more experienced than you or I, you will then be able to pass on your own experiences to others. 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Good to see that you had some hatchlings.

Congratulations on the baby turkeys !! You are very inspiring !! Keep up the good work !!!!!

Adorable babies they sound cute

Love and enjoy your videos. May the lord bless and protect you and your family and the bison and the other animals. And your new adventures

I took on incubating and hatching goose eggs this year and learned alot. 1. When you open the incubator you need to spray water on the walls or eggs before closing it. They call it a humidity bomb. It helps with shrink wrapping. Two after you remove the hatched eggs candle the rest. Sometimes a few eggs can be delayed up to a week after hatch date. While I did like seeing the eggs and chicks I do feel like maybe you left the lid open a bit to long just to video it for us. Which while I do appreciate the better view. It puts pipped eggs at risk. I was told you its fine to open the incubator for an extended time as long as theres no pipped eggs but you had two pipped eggs when you moved the chicks so I would have much rather you had got in and got out rather than extend it with some recording. Adorable babies. Please be careful of blackhead disease.

Thanks for the video.

Brooks is too cute in her sunglasses and with the baby chicks.

Keep going you got this. God bless

Wow, you go Dusty! ❤

I applaud you for your efforts here. Dad raised them, but he always bought chicks to raise. He had no patience for egg hatching 😂

My black australorps are my favorite breed. They lay beautiful light brown eggs almost daily. Their eggs almost look pink next to the darker brown eggs.

❤ Thank you for sharing with us 😊

Dusty, when Hatching And form of Poultry, Patience is a Virtue. Way for them to Hatch on their own . You will get a far better Percentage . You should not leave the lid off the Incubator. If you make the Membrane bleed they will die

Yay so awesome lil babies

Great video

LOL we have so many turkeys here. I know many people, including some postal workers who would love someone to catch them and send them to you for release. LOL

All chick's, whether turkey's, chick's, etc. Struggle to a bit. The membranes dry out, that's part of why it sticksto them. But I've had shell's stuck to the chick when they first come out & be off shortly after they're dry for a day or 2. Make sure the humidity level is good. I'd get a bigger square type incubator for turkey's. I think it'd be better.

@brendamullins1296

10 күн бұрын

I could not watch most of this video but glad you got 9 and best hopes for them.

Dusty you are doing amazing things for all creatures big and small. I had no idea how few wild turkeys there have been in Oklahoma! Here in Iowa, our pheasant populations have been strangled over several years. We used ti see them constantly every day. Now I’m lucky to see just one at all.

Turkeys! So cute!

I grew up with an incubator on the bathroom counter. My dad raised bob white quail and ring necked pheasants.

the chirping is so nice

You should keep one hatched in the incubater. Its chirping encourages them tonhatche.

Hi Dusty! I've got this Brand, The Nurture Right 360 Incubator myself. It's great 👍. I've been Breeding Chickens for over 30+ Years now. When u have any Breed of Chicks 🐣 that are starting to Hatch, u need to take out the White Incert, so it gives them more room to move, & hatch out of the Egg 🥚. The 1 little Chick that has the inner lining of membrain stuck to it, try wetting it to make it soft, to come off. The Humidity in the Incubator has to be at a certain Temperature, for Turkey's to hatch, so they can hatch out of the Egg 🥚. U can CANDLE the Eggs 🥚, & see if there are chicks in them. I've got Black, & Blue Australorps Hens, & Roosters that ive Hatched out of my Incubator, over the last 5 years. They are beautiful 😍 to look at. Luv your Videos. From Melbourne Australia 🇦🇺

Try connecting with Whitehouse on the Hill They raise their own chickens emus and other birds

Best of luck with the Turkey s. Was awesome baby girl. She's growing so fast. Have a blessed day.

You know that hole where Bullet sticks his nose in the baby turkey pen is big enough for the babies to get out through. You might want to put some tape over it to keep them in until they are bigger.

Enjoyed seeing the horses.

Hi Dusty, they are cute baby chick's

The egg shrink wrapped more than likely you need to leave the lid closed or spray a fine mist of water. They’ll live up to 3 days in there it’s best if you do

Turkey take a lot more time to mature than chickens they depend more on the hen than chickens so don’t be too quick to take them out of the brooder. They also are more of a flocking bird than chickens. If they get wet they will die quick. They will follow you like around like you are the big turkey. Turkeys are not stupid they just take twice as long to mature. I would build a nice tall pen ten feet high put a soft top on it keep the females as brood stock but keep the males apart the like to roost high too. They need higher protein food too I think. I had about Thirty and I would let them out and take them on walks through the woods. Just because they get bigger than this chickens doesn’t mean they are good to go on their own. It takes 12-18 months for a Turkey to mature. 4-6 for a chicken.

need to add! GOOD job on what you hatched... You can check them around one week to two weeks with a flashlight... then leave them alone.. :). THANK you SR for helping re establish. endangered breeds. YOU can easily see what happened by cracking open the dead ones.... which will teach and show you what you need to fix...

You know there are a big hole 🕳️ in the turkey bin ! They can easily walk through it and the dog or cat will get it .