Switching hens eggs with chicks?

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ArtCaptain

ArtCaptain

Songster
5 Years
Dec 13, 2014
172
51
112
California
I just know if its possible and safe to switch my hens infertile eggs with living, breathing chicks from the feed store . I know its possible to switch her eggs with another hens eggs and have her hatch them, but is ot safe to put chicks in her nest?
Oh and shes been sitting for about 3 weeks now. She had 6 eggs but another chicken broke 3 and she somehow broke one so she only has 2 now.
 
ArtCaptain said:
I just know if its possible and safe to switch my hens infertile eggs with living, breathing chicks from the feed store . I know its possible to switch her eggs with another hens eggs and have her hatch them, but is ot safe to put chicks in her nest?
Oh and shes been sitting for about 3 weeks now. She had 6 eggs but another chicken broke 3 and she somehow broke one so she only has 2 now.
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Yes. Put the chicks under the hen late when it is dark, then check early (first light) to be sure all is well. Most times the hen will gladly accept chicks. If she is an experienced mom, so much the better, as this has a better chance of all going well. Some of my experienced hens I've given chicks during the day and they accepted them immediately.
 
Totally possible, and you're right around the right time to do it. Conventional wisdom says to do it at night, it keeps everyone tucked under her and quiet while her hormones adjust to the chicks instead of the eggs.
 
nchls school said:
Yes. Put the chicks under the hen late when it is dark, then check early (first light) to be sure all is well. Most times the hen will gladly accept chicks. If she is an experienced mom, so much the better, as this has a better chance of all going well. Some of my experienced hens I've given chicks during the day and they accepted them immediately.
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Ok thanks!:D This hen is going to be a first time mom so hopefully she won't murder the chicks.
 
donrae said:
Totally possible, and you're right around the right time to do it. Conventional wisdom says to do it at night, it keeps everyone tucked under her and quiet while her hormones adjust to the chicks instead of the eggs.
Click to expand...

Yes conventional wisdom rules all Cx
Thanks for the info :D
 
Make sure they are as young as possible, and block them from getting away from the broody. When I added chicks under my broody, they had been on their own for a couple days, so they were used to going and getting food and water. I had to put them under the broody in a crate with food and water, and during the day I would put the chicks' beaks into the food and water to make sure they knew where to get it. Mine took 6 feed store chicks to raise with her one that hatched, and they did fine.
 
Yes, as all previous comments indicate darkeness is the best time to introduce chicks under a brodie. I have done it several times and every time I do it at night, this way the hen thinks that her eggs hatched. When I have a brodie sitting, I also have eggs in the incubator. When the eggs from the incubator hatch, I move them under the hen that night and she takes cared of them.
 

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