➡I accidentally bought Balut eggs: 2 live ducks! Now a Chat Thread!

[Ursuline Chick]

I would guess yes.

I would guess yes also, however it's a guess. Was hoping someone has done this before and knew if the hen would take in extra chicks?

 

[Kiki]

Okay we have a few days to discuss this. First how many eggs should I put under a large breed fluffy hen, she takes up about a 1 foot by 1 foot space in broody position (safely), then let's talk about what I would need for a home made bator for the rest of the eggs. OMG DH is going to need depends when he gets home tonight!!! As in poo your pants!! However this is starting to sound fun. God help me.

Building the BinBator

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Let him skim through these:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/category/incubators-brooders.27/

Thank you

 

[Kiki]

I would guess yes also, however it's a guess. Was hoping someone has done this before and knew if the hen would take in extra chicks?

Of course it could work...it all depends on the hen.
Don't worry about that part right now...get the bator built!

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Building the BinBator

WOOT, WOOT !! This will be my late night reading tonight. Thank you so much.

 

[Morrigan]

Will the broody take the extra chicks if they all hatch around the same time, or will she be like "wait how did I get twice as many chicks as I had eggs?"

That is the big risk at splitting them up. I tried this exact same experience before. I had 8 viable in the incubator and 4 under the hen. The incubated eggs had all hatched by day 22 and I went ahead and gave her the chicks, which she accepted with delight. On day 24, she left the nest with the chicks and abandoned the eggs she was sitting on. I wasn't sure what was going on with these eggs, but I threw them in the incubator and had three more chicks hatch out on day 25 and 26. I tried slipping the new chicks under her at night, but first thing in the morning she drove them off. I had to brood them separately and it was a pain.

A large breed hen could handle 12 eggs, easily. I've heard stories of buffs hatching 24 chicks!

 

[Mysimplewyominglife]

That is the big risk at splitting them up. I tried this exact same experience before. I had 8 viable in the incubator and 4 under the hen. The incubated eggs had all hatched by day 22 and I went ahead and gave her the chicks, which she accepted with delight. On day 24, she left the nest with the chicks and abandoned the eggs she was sitting on. I wasn't sure what was going on with these eggs, but I threw them in the incubator and had three more chicks hatch out on day 25 and 26. I tried slipping the new chicks under her at night, but first thing in the morning she drove them off. I had to brood them separately and it was a pain.

A large breed hen could handle 12 eggs, easily. I've heard stories of buffs hatching 24 chicks!

I wonder if she got her own show 24 chicks and counting lol

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

Fun story--
I got to talk to the guy in Ohio who was in on the beginning stages of bringing the Bald Eagle back. They had several injured that could not return to the wild so they would breed them and hatch out the eggs. Then find a wild nest with a hatchling the same age. (They closely monitored the few nests we had.)
Parent Eagles can handle 2 chicks so with incubated chick in a bag they would rig up and climb the tree to the nest. Pissed and screeching mom circling. Check the hatchling in the nest and give it a sibling.
When I asked how did they get the parents to accept another chick he said "We leave the new baby with a gift. A fresh fish."
When Mom comes back to 2 screaming kids she sees the easy meal, feeds them both and it's a new family.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Fun story--
I got to talk to the guy in Ohio who was in on the beginning stages of bringing the Bald Eagle back. They had several injured that could not return to the wild so they would breed them and hatch out the eggs. Then find a wild nest with a hatchling the same age. (They closely monitored the few nests we had.)
Parent Eagles can handle 2 chicks so with incubated chick in a bag they would rig up and climb the tree to the nest. Pissed and screeching mom circling. Check the hatchling in the nest and give it a sibling.
When I asked how did they get the parents to accept another chick he said "We leave the new baby with a gift. A fresh fish."
When Mom comes back to 2 screaming kids she sees the easy meal, feeds them both and it's a new family.

Very interesting story, about some very brave people. I am not usually afraid of wild animals, but an Eagle diving at my head while I am in the top of a tree, IDK!! I once had a Mississippi Hawk dive at my head and I was standing on the ground trying to take a picture of her babies in the nest with a telephoto lens. That was kind of enough, I was told I was lucky I didn't need stitches. LOL

 

[Morrigan]

I wonder what the eagle thought about the whole thing. Wow, another chick, where did that come from? Hey there's a fish, woo-hoo! What was I talking about again?

On brooding 12 eggs, I will say that I had the 8 incubated chicks and 4 original eggs under my buff orpington at the same time and you would have never guessed there was a single thing under her. Just a flattened hen on a nest, hissing at me if I came to close.