How to Hatch Turkey Eggs in an Incubator

Steps

Set up your incubator at least 24 hours before you put the eggs in.

1. Fill the lower channel with water to ensure adequate humidity.
2. Place two thermometers in the incubator. Make sure they are elevated to half the height of the eggs (usually about 1 inch). You can get disposable plastic cups and cut them to the desired height to act as platforms for the thermometers.
3. Attach a fabric extension to the bulb of one thermometer and make sure that the other end is in the water channel underneath. This thermometer, called a wet-bulb thermometer, will read the humidity in the incubator, but only if the fabric is wet.
4. Make sure the temperature is stable at or around 99 degrees, and the humidity stays between 85 and 100 degrees. To adjust the temperature, adjust the heater. To raise humidity, cover vents. To lower humidity, open more vents.
5. Mark the eggs with a regular pencil. Put an "x" on one side and an "o" on the other (when the eggs are laying flat on their sides). This is so that when you turn them, you'll be able to turn them exactly 180 degrees. Do not use a colored pencil, a pen, or a marker - these contain chemicals that will harm the turkey through the shell.
6. Place the eggs gently in the incubator. Have them all with the same letter facing up.
7. Turn all the eggs either three or five times every 24 hours. This prevents the turkey inside from sticking to the shell. Stop turning the eggs three days before they hatch so the turkey can get into hatching position.   

• The normal incubating period for turkeys is 28 days.
• Handle the eggs as little as possible. The less disturbance you create, the more likely the hatching will go smoothly.
• Keep an eye on the water level underneath. If you let it go too low, the incubator will get too dry. The relative humidity during hatching time should be 65% or more to prevent the turkey from drying out inside it's cracked shell and dieing during hatching.
• When a turkey starts poking through the shell, do NOT turn the egg. Make sure that the crack the turkey is making is facing up. If you put the crack facing the floor, the turkey may not be able to break through. In the last three days of incubation the turkey will move to get into hatching position. 6-12 hours before they hatch you may even hear them start to peep.
• The first crack will probably show up towards the thicker end of the egg. The turkey often drills his way around the circumference of the egg and pops the end open like a cap.
• The hatching process takes between 5 and 10 hours.
• The newly hatched turkey will probably be peeping, wobbly, tired and wet. Make sure it stays warm and rests.
• After 24 hours have passed, show the turkey its water and food. Dip its beak in the water (but not so that it goes in the nostrils) and watch him drink. Repeat with the feed. Hopefully your turkey will learn and start eating and drinking by itself.

• Never touch young turkeys after being in contact with chickens. There are diseases that can be passed from chickens to young turkeys (although fully grown turkeys are okay).
• If you don't turn the eggs properly, your newborn turkey might hatch with a twisted leg that it won't be able to stand up with. In this case, the baby will probably need to be put down.
• Resist the urge to help a hatching turkey. This will do more harm than good. Let nature take its course.