Talking Turkey

Tonight I candled the remaining eggs.  I doubt seriously that any of the Blue Orpington eggs or the last Easter Egger egg will hatch.  But, I'm keeping the eggs in the incubator and turning them anyway.

Of the 4 Merriam Turkey eggs, only one is developing.  I can see the eye and earlier I could see the heart beating. 

Of the 12 Marans eggs, I think I have more than half developing.  There are a few I don't think got started.

It's kind of disappointing when you spend money on eggs and have only about 20% hatch out.  The Marans eggs I got from a friend down in the Bitterroot, so they didn't come via mail.  What's more, she gave them to me because she wasn't sure if the bantam Minorca that had slipped in had done any breeding. 

I was so hopeful for Merriam turkeys, but one turkey doesn't make a flock.  Still, maybe I can pick up some turkey poults and breed them once they get big enough.  That would give me an interesting mix of birds and if I find a bunch of Narragansett Turkeys, I may add them to the lone Merriam and breed them.  They're the closest I can find to wild Merriams and this Merriam isn't completely wild when it comes to the genes.  Still, at nearly $10 a poult, it's a lot of money.