Adding chicks to a broody hens hatching clutch?

[bragabit]

I bought 3 dozen eggs (white orp, buff orp & Welsummer). I had two broody hens waiting in the coop. 1st Broody is named Blinky she is a buff orp. I put around 14 eggs under her (mostly the white orp), I lost count but she was too grumpy for me to count them. My other broody is named 'mama' as this is her 2nd time to go broody in less than a year. I put 7 Welsummer eggs under her. This was all last Thursday. I still have eggs left so I put them in a Little Giant incubator and a couple of my own mutt eggs as control eggs. My plan is to take the chicks from the incubator when they hatch and put them under the hens. In the past when my hens have hatched I have held the chicks, so I was thinking of pretending to hold one yet stuff two back under the mommas. I've never done this before, any advice?? How many babies chicks can each hen mother??

 

[cptkracker]

I have heard brooding hens will be serogate mothers but i have no experience although i would like to know the answer

 

[ChooksChick]

It can be done, but I advise you do it at night, and I've never packed them in, but have a friend who put a whole shipment under a hen. A banty Cochin successfully mothered a parade of 30 heavy layers! She even defended them against the rest of the massive flock (not recommended, of course, just anecdotal).

 

[spm217]

I have done this with no problem. I purchased eggs and put half under a broody and half in the incubator when they arrived. When the eggs hatched I put all of the chicks from the incubator into the coop with the broody and her chicks and she did not even seem to notice. My hen is a silkie and she was a great mom to all of the chicks.

 

[bragabit]

Quote:
I would love to see a picture of that!!!