Incubating Eggs of Broody hen

[TanZ]

Hello all, Sadly it is to late this time. But I was wondering if I could Incubate eggs that a Hen was sitting on to finish? I don't know for sure if the little one would have made it but when I took the left over eggs I found out that one of them had a fully developed egg and from the looks of it I think it would have been one like the daddy! Talking with my mom, She said that every chicken she has ever had sit had odd number of Chicks and mine did have 5. They are all still doing fine. However one got out and lucky for us we found out rather soon after doing so. To many predators around for it to last to long.

Anyway I am thinking if I had taken the eggs within a hour of her not going back to the nest after the others have hatched I might have had 6. There was 5 eggs left. 1 was cracked and the chick dead. 3 not fertile and one looked like it just needed a little longer to hatch out. Again my mom says if I did take it the mom wouldn't want it after it hatched if it didn't with her. I think if it was only a few hours or even 24 hours that she still may take the baby chick?

Sorry if there was information already posted about this. I looked but couldn't find anything.

Thank you in Advance
James

 

[AmericanMom]

yes, if gathered soon enough eggs sat under a broody can finish in an incubator or a luck fix heat source, I have done it both ways... sorry you didn't get to them sooner, but perhaps the chick had already died and the hen sensing it had took her chicks that had hatched and left the nest.

 

[AmericanMom]

also have grafted two or three day old chicks back to the hen after allowing them to hatch and she accepted them

 

[TanZ]

Thank you. I will have to keep close eye on next time. Check with candle and try and finish the ones that look able.

So far the babies are doing well. Growing really well and mom being she is young has been a good mom.

When the Amber whites start to lay and the Black Australorps start to lay next spring I will only collect the eggs. TO many together I think for one to go Broody. I could be wrong but time will see. They were bought to be egg layers anyway. Meat if needed.

James