I wasn't going to post, but I couldn't find an answer to my question. I have 5 serama eggs currently pipping under a broody LF hen in my coop. Temps will be in the 50's in my area today, and below freezing at night. I have LF eggs in my incubator that are on day 12. I prefer to take the serama chicks away from the hen and brood them myself- they might be crushed by big mama or freeze if they wander away. They will not be integrated into the LF flock in any case.
I'm wondering if I take the serama chicks away from mama as they hatch, whether I could then slip the day 12 LF eggs under her, with an aim of letting her keep and raise those babies. I know it means a few more days of sitting, but she's in good body condition and I think she could handle it. My question is...will she continue to sit?
She's been communicating with her chicks in the shell. She knows they are hatching. If her hatching eggs are suddenly replaced by silent ones, is she likely to keep sitting until they hatch, or abandon the clutch as dead?
I'm hoping for a best-of-all-worlds, humane solution where mama gets to raise the babies she wants, the LF chicks integrate with the flock, and the seramas are hand raised inside where it is safer for them. I accept that ultimately I may just have to try it and see, but thought I'd ask here first.
If anyone has experience with this sort of situation, I would appreciate knowing how it worked out for you!
Thank you!
I'm wondering if I take the serama chicks away from mama as they hatch, whether I could then slip the day 12 LF eggs under her, with an aim of letting her keep and raise those babies. I know it means a few more days of sitting, but she's in good body condition and I think she could handle it. My question is...will she continue to sit?
She's been communicating with her chicks in the shell. She knows they are hatching. If her hatching eggs are suddenly replaced by silent ones, is she likely to keep sitting until they hatch, or abandon the clutch as dead?
I'm hoping for a best-of-all-worlds, humane solution where mama gets to raise the babies she wants, the LF chicks integrate with the flock, and the seramas are hand raised inside where it is safer for them. I accept that ultimately I may just have to try it and see, but thought I'd ask here first.
If anyone has experience with this sort of situation, I would appreciate knowing how it worked out for you!
Thank you!