The 10th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!!!!!

[jolenesdad]

Someone has to go through 1000s of posts?

 

[Cynthia12]

View attachment 1718970

.Dark, really dark!

 

[Cynthia12]

So, one of my Buff Orpington hens is going broody. She's 3 years old and has gone broody consistently over the last two summers. I've never let her hatch any eggs so I don't know what kind of mother she'll be. At the moment, I have some eggs in the incubator and I'm debating on giving her some to see if she can hatch them. I'll need to scramble this weekend to create a space for her. Have something in mind that is integrated with our coop but would need some work. (aka - construction - eek)

So two things:
1. Would it be a problem to separate out some eggs from the incubator and sneak them under her at night? They will have been in the incubator for about a week by the time I'd be ready to set them under her.

2. Should I let her sit on some unfertilized or fake eggs, until the incubator eggs hatch, then sneak the babies under her?

Just looking for opinions and thoughts. This is new ground for me.

If you see that she is sitting tight..go for it. You said she was .. .. going... broody. Wait until you see her in there all snuggled down. And, it's up to you if you want to put chicks under her. I've had different experiences both ways..some accept them this way, some don't. I've even had the same hen accept them one year and not the next. Not sure why, she was in the same area as before.

 

[karenerwin]

I set 27 eggs for the hatch-a-long!

 

[karenerwin]

4 turkey eggs as if last night but can't count them as they are a week off. Hens were slackers.

I'm jealous! My turkey hasn't started laying yet. Or if she has she is hiding them in the woods or something! I would love to try to hatch 1 or 2 of her eggs ( if she is laying any) .

So, one of my Buff Orpington hens is going broody. She's 3 years old and has gone broody consistently over the last two summers. I've never let her hatch any eggs so I don't know what kind of mother she'll be. At the moment, I have some eggs in the incubator and I'm debating on giving her some to see if she can hatch them. I'll need to scramble this weekend to create a space for her. Have something in mind that is integrated with our coop but would need some work. (aka - construction - eek)

So two things:
1. Would it be a problem to separate out some eggs from the incubator and sneak them under her at night? They will have been in the incubator for about a week by the time I'd be ready to set them under her.

2. Should I let her sit on some unfertilized or fake eggs, until the incubator eggs hatch, then sneak the babies under her?

Just looking for opinions and thoughts. This is new ground for me.

I would sneak the eggs under her and let her hatch them! When you try sneaking live chicks under a broody it does not always work out. I have had some except them and I have had some reject them. So I would go with letting her hatch the eggs then they would already be "her" chicks.

 

[Cynthia12]

Hi Karen...long time no see!

 

[Chicksnmind]

I have 9 in One of those I think aren’t fertile but we will see.

 

[Higgie Mountain Farm]

24 of my own farm eggs went in at 12:30 today. Let the hatching begin!

 

[MROO]

So, one of my Buff Orpington hens is going broody. She's 3 years old and has gone broody consistently over the last two summers. I've never let her hatch any eggs so I don't know what kind of mother she'll be. At the moment, I have some eggs in the incubator and I'm debating on giving her some to see if she can hatch them. I'll need to scramble this weekend to create a space for her. Have something in mind that is integrated with our coop but would need some work. (aka - construction - eek)

So two things:
1. Would it be a problem to separate out some eggs from the incubator and sneak them under her at night? They will have been in the incubator for about a week by the time I'd be ready to set them under her.

2. Should I let her sit on some unfertilized or fake eggs, until the incubator eggs hatch, then sneak the babies under her?

Just looking for opinions and thoughts. This is new ground for me.

If you're going to put pre-incubated eggs under her, don't wait too long. You don't want her to give up too soon, thinking she's been sitting too long. Most hens seem to wait at least a few days to make sure, but I don't think mine have ever gone a week longer. Maybe someone who knows more can chime in, here?
If your broody abandons her nest early, like my daffy Miss Piggy tends to do, you can move them to the incubator if you catch them early. I've actually had pretty good luck doing that with Piggy's eggs. Even if she doesn't abandon them, I take them a few days early. She's a good broody, but when those nasty little fuzzy things start breaking her eggs, she turns "chickicidal!"

 

[MROO]

Thanks for sharing; I’ll keep a close eye on it. I have heard of other people needing to replace the turner. I have the bantam eggs in now and they do seem to be moving when the turner goes, perhaps just not as uniformly. Do you know how often the turner is supposed to come on?

I'm embarrassed to say that I honestly don't know how often it comes on. By the time I thought to check, it was already messed up. I'll keep track, now. My son's computer is close to the 'bator, so he can note the times for me. Gee, for once, I'll be happy to have him spend an hour or two on the computer instead of cleaning his room. I'm gonna have one happy teenager!