shipped eggs hatch rate?

trailrider330 said:

Just like with so many other things, everyone has their opinion as to what works best for them. My broody is quite experienced and has a good hatch rate, but I also did not want to leave everything up to her, just in case something went wrong. Likewise, I did not want to leave everything up to the incubator either, just in case something went wrong on that end. Hence, I set half of my shipped eggs under the broody and half in the incubator. (My own version of "Never put all your eggs in one basket.") I also equally divided the eggs that arrived with good air cells, and the eggs that arrived with detached air cells, between the two to keep things "fair". I'm anxious to see which does better in my little experiment... the broody or the 'bator. Only time will tell, but since they are shipped eggs, I'm trying not to get my hopes up!

Whatever way you choose to hatch, good luck!

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dekel18042 said:

Glad your experiment worked out for you, but just thinking here about the eggs with problem air cells. You said you gave half to your broody. But with bad air cells I usually let them rest for a day or day and a half before putting in the incubator, keeping the turner off for the first three days and being careful of their position. Isn't that something a broody wouldn't do? or would do hit and miss? I have to wonder how much of the broody hatch on the bad air cells was due to luck. Did you mark which eggs were which so you can tell which hatched?

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trailrider330 said:

Thought I would give you an update on my little "experiment".

My broody hatched 6 out of 8 eggs.
The incubator also hatched 6 out of 8 eggs.
Hence, my experiment ended in a tie.

I told myself I would be happy if only 3 of the 16 hatched since they were shipped eggs. With 12 having actually hatched, I am elated!

I ended up grafting the incubator chicks to the broody tonight. When my normally very docile broody, heard me coming with peeping chicks under cover of night, she jumped out of the nest, looked all around her pen for the chicks, decided I was the one "hurting" them and came charging after me. I got her back on the nest and stuck the chicks under her the best I could and she tucked them the rest of the way under her. I checked on them periodically, and all seems to be going well.

This all reminded me of additional reasons why opting for the broody is nice... no need for a light/heat source, mama teaches them everything they need to know, and they are more easily, and quickly, integrated into the rest of the flock.

@OldMcDnld, were you able to break your remaining broody in the end?

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OldMcDnld said:

After 6 days in the broody breaker, I let her back in the yard and she has wanted nothing to do with the coop ever since. She goes up to roost in the flocks favorite tree to scratch under at dusk every night. I'm still having to grab her out and put her on the roost in the coop each evening. In the morning she is in the run with the sunrise just waiting for the door to open. The chicks are 12 days old and Phoebe hen doesn't let them out of the nest until Bonnie is out for the day.


Congratulations on your hatching success

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trailrider330 said:

Sorry to hear that things are not going as planned. That can be frustrating.

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Choco Maran said:

I have four Roosters in one coop with 20 hens and there has not yet been a fight. The rooster all grow up together and I feel this is why they get along.

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