Here's a photo of the embryo of a Wild Turkey. It was removed from an egg I found on a gravel road at the golf course where I tend bird-nesting boxes. Two eggs were on the road, the second one empty and smashed flat. I assume this was the work of a predator. The egg from which I took the embryo had a hole about half the size of what you see here. I enlarged the hole to remove the embryo. Based on the development of an embryo I removed from a Canada Goose egg two years ago I estimate that the turkey egg had been in incubation for about 12 days (my guess). The dark splotches on the embryo are the first appearance of feathers. An enlargement of this photo clearly shows feathers along the bird's spine. The other feather indications are matted. The goose egg I examined was taken from an abandoned nest built on a platform in our pond. I timed incubation in that case. The female goose abandoned the nest after eight days of incubation. When the eggs had been untended for five days (with very cool nights) I removed them and opened one. That embryo is shown in the second photo. It was in better condition than that of the turkey, the latter having spent half a day in the sun.
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Taken from egg dropped by predator
June 10, 2013 at 3:35PM

(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

(James J. Williams /The Minnesota Star Tribune)

(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

(The Minnesota Star Tribune)