Broody Hen Thread!

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Hi I have a question. I have 7 cochin eggs in my incubator due to pip may 26 my hen went broody 3 days after I set her eggs and laid two more which she is setting on.. naughty girl.. my question is after her eggs hatch if they are good, will she take the chics that I hatched 3 days before? or would it be trouble. if so any tips on how to do it? thank you guys..



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Wooster Crazy said:
Hi I have a question. I have 7 cochin eggs in my incubator due to pip may 26 my hen went broody 3 days after I set her eggs and laid two more which she is setting on.. naughty girl.. my question is after her eggs hatch if they are good, will she take the chics that I hatched 3 days before? or would it be trouble. if so any tips on how to do it? thank you guys..



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Considering how close they are in due dates you should be able to work out a grafting situation.... I would swap out the two she is setting on for (at least) two or three good ones in the incubator.... set her current ones into the bator and mark them. You can then allow her to hatch her 3 and graft the incubator chicks to her as they hatch. If the last 2 eggs don't hatch before she leaves the nest with the earlier chicks then you may still be able to graft them to her at night when they do hatch... fingers crossed that she takes them but if she doesn't then you still only have 2 to brood rather than 7.
Watch the little ones (the last 2 to hatch) very closely to make sure they are keeping up with the others, and for the first few days I would keep them in a more confined area to make sure the littlest ones don't get left behind if mama decides to range. Once the youngest are 3 or 4 days old they should be doing well enough to go where ever the rest go.
 
fisherlady said:
Considering how close they are in due dates you should be able to work out a grafting situation.... I would swap out the two she is setting on for (at least) two or three good ones in the incubator.... set her current ones into the bator and mark them.  You can then allow her to hatch her 3 and graft the incubator chicks to her as they hatch.  If the last 2 eggs don't hatch before she leaves the nest with the earlier chicks then you may still be able to graft them to her at night when they do hatch... fingers crossed that she takes them but if she doesn't then you still only have 2 to brood rather than 7.
Watch the little ones (the last 2 to hatch) very closely to make sure they are keeping up with the others, and for the first few days I would keep them in a more confined area to make sure the littlest ones don't get left behind if mama decides to range.  Once the youngest are 3 or 4 days old they should be doing well enhenough to go where ever the rest go.
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I did almost exactly that but my one little late chick about 3 days behind didn't make it when placed with mama. I would advise if you add later ones then be sure it's on a day you can really keep an eye on them. The little guy just wasn't ready to do all the running around that the others were doing.
 
I know i don't know as much as a lot of people, but there is no way I would swap out the broody hen's eggs for some that will hatch earlier. I think you would be much better off keeping things as is. Once the bator eggs hatch, keep them in a brooder until her eggs do and you should have no trouble slipping them under her. If you take those eggs and she has already had her babies out running around for a couple of days before they hatch, she very well may reject them. Why set yourself up to have to brood yourself when you have a perfect natural brooder. Also, if I am having to keep chicks in a brooder, I say the more the merrier. What if you only have 2 and one dies? Besides, 7 are no more trouble than 2 at that age.
 
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karenerwin said:
Cute! I wonder if any of my hens will ever go broody?  Thou now would not be a good time, I already have 29 chicks running around in brooders!  It looks so sweet to see Momma & little chicks together.
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I never had a broody until I got my naked necks! I used to feel so jealous because my hens seemed to hate children. Lol I had no clue naked necks are notoriously broody until I couldn't make mine not! Lol
 
TXchickenchick said:
I never had a broody until I got my naked necks! I used to feel so jealous because my hens seemed to hate children. Lol I had no clue naked necks are notoriously broody until I couldn't make mine not! Lol
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I am seriously wanting some Turkens! I love the way they look. And the fact that they are broody just makes me want them more!!!
 

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